Into The Ring
by eviltrinity
Summary: In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists – and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go.
1. Down for the Count

Welcome to our newest collab fic, Into The Ring! We've had so much fun writing it and we hop you guys will enjoy reading this as much as you did Trial By Fire (our last collab fic). TBF has no correlation whatsoever to ITR, this is not the sequel (the sequel is titled Circles of Hell and has not yet been written). That being said, if you haven't read our previous collab fic, Trial By Fire, it would make us very happy if you did! *promos*

This fic is set up a bit differently than TBF. Those of you who read it can recall that the three of us had separate "chunks" of the story (one of us wrote the beginning, another the middle, and the third wrote the ending). Into The Ring will not be following that format.

Instead, we've been doing the Round-Robin method.

What this means is that we are all writing together. As Snogfairy puts it, our writing is entirely mixed up. This means that every single paragraph you read might be written by a different person; sometimes it's whole pages, sometimes half, etc. It's one big mix. Writing like this has proven to be not only insanely fun but also very, very motivating, and we have written what we have so far (almost 200 pages) in less than a month. And we're so excited to share this fic with you that we just can't wait!

However, we must warn you that ITR will be rather dark (darker than TBF). There will be violence, gore, sex, implied but not graphic prostitution, and more. If you're uncomfortable with any of these themes, then this fic is not for you. This fic is rated M for very good reasons.

Other than that, we should be all good to go!

We'll be updating weekly (on Saturdays), so please look forward to the new chapters! These chapters will also be available on Tumblr. Also, any and all feedback is appreciated - we would love to hear your thoughts!

Enjoy, and welcome into the Ring...

* * *

 **rated:** _M for mature content_

 **summary:** _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

" _Fear is your best friend or your worst enemy. It's like fire. If you can control it, it can cook for you; it can heat your house. If you can't control it, it will burn everything around you and destroy you." -_ _ **Mike Tyson**_

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PROLOGUE

 **Down for the Count**

 _a boxer being knocked down; the referee will count off ten seconds, the time allotted for the boxer to regain his feet or lose the fight._

* * *

For as long as he could remember, certain sounds, smells, and sensations had always been present. The scent of the sweat of exercise, or the heavy ringing of a thick brass bell to mark the end of a round. The feel of chalk under his nails to help keep his grip, and the slip of vinyl mats under bandaged feet. Even the skip of a jump rope was soothing, the leather cord whizzing through the air.

All those things were familiar. They always had been and perhaps always would be.

But now there were new sounds, new smells. New sensations.

Pain along with the tightness of fear clouded his mind and tainted the impressions he previously had associated with safety. No longer were the boxing gloves or sandbags a source of comfort. No longer did the ringing of a bell shoot a thrill of excitement in his young heart.

He was frightened and he wanted his daddy.

A boy, no older than ten, was shoved into a brittle looking steel cage. His eyes were wild with fear as he struggled against the man trying to lock him inside like an animal. Around his neck was a long white scarf, a scale like pattern decorated every inch of the fabric. It hung off the boy's shoulders, several sizes too large, the rough ends dragged onto the the floor of the cage. Pink hair was matted down onto his sweaty forehead.

Every ounce of the young boy was grimy and filthy, tracks of tan cut by tears were the only clean spots on his face. A smear of red was smudged on a round cheek, rubbed there from a second source. Dirty bandages were wrapped around his tiny palms, covering up healing burns and fresh scars.

When the boy tried to sit up and brace himself against the bars, a harsh kick was delivered to the metal, nearly smashing the child's fingers in the process. He recoiled back, drawing them protectively to his chest even as he glared bitterly at his captor. Even he knew better than to risk breaking a hand. He'd be useless then. Damaged goods.

He was already in trouble for getting hurt. Broken property was a liability.

"Stay in there until you remember to wait for Acnologia you stupid brat," another harsh kick rattled the bars of the cage, but the boy barely flinched.

Instead he watched the man sulk off, swearing under his breath over insubordinate kids. He stayed still, recovering from the beating he had gotten and the pain from his own impromptu training. Not moving seemed like the best course of action and his throbbing body seemed to agree.

Staying still for several minutes, the boy curled his burned fingers under his chin, wincing at the tenderness. They weren't bad, but it would mean he'd have to take the day off.

Acnologia wouldn't be happy.

The boy didn't have long to linger on that thought. The steps of approaching feet alerted him someone was seeking to keep him company. Lifting his head just enough to see who it was, the boy only sighed in relief at who was standing there.

"You really did it this time, Natsu," a tired voice broke the silence.

The boy, Natsu, leaned up and let out a horrible sounding croak and a surprisingly bright smile. "It was worth it, Zeref."

Natsu groaned around his throbbing jaw, a fresh bruise already beginning to form from the licking he had taken. His tongue felt too swollen for his mouth, but he relished the tender ache in his throat. It was proof he had finally achieved the next step in his training.

Swallowing fire.

His dad had taught him before that it was one of the biggest steps to becoming a master of the fire dragonslayer style of fighting. His throat burned terribly, ash spilled against the back of his tongue and he felt blisters forming along the insides of his cheeks.

Pride pulsed through him. It might have hurt at first, but fire swallowing was all about discipline. All it took was enough practice and meditation and the flames would put themselves out.

"Perhaps, but the guards didn't seem to think so," Zeref sighed but knelt before Natsu's cage and undid the latch with clever fingers. He bent down before Natsu.

"They won't like you letting me out either..." Natsu crawled towards the opening and climbed out.

He was getting too cramped for the cage. Soon they would have to put him somewhere else. Especially if they wanted him usable.

"We need to treat those burns," Zeref replied, but helped to guide Natsu out. He braced the little boy's arm in his palm, careful not to jostle his injuries.

A twist of guilt pressed into Natsu's gut, reminding him that Zeref only had a limited amount of creams and muscle ointments to use for his disposal. He was using his portion on Natsu. Suddenly, he felt more ashamed for his impulsive actions than he had before when the guards had been beating on him.

Sensing Natsu beginning to pull away, Zeref's grip tightened around his wrist, gentle but firm in his hold.

"None of that now." Zeref held onto Natsu's arm, but reached around and deposited something blue and furry into the little boy's lap. "I managed to convince the Master to give him back to you."

The small bundle squirmed but let out an offended sounding 'mrow' when Natsu hesitated in picking it up. On the boy's lap was a small kitten. So tiny, it was considered a runt in its litter and would have been thrown into a gutter to die had Natsu not taken an immediate liking to him.

It seemed odd that something so fragile could live within the walls of the ring, but surprisingly enough he was not the only one. All of the captured children owned a small pet provided they shared a portion of their meal with the animal. To those who funded the ring, it was marketed to their sense of humanity as a sort of therapy tool for the child fighters.

Smoke screen and nothing more. The pets were just tools in a belt of weapons to use against their prisoners. The children would bond to the pets, and if they disobeyed orders or were willful - their pet would suffer for it.

"H-Happy!" Natsu's eyes went wide and immediately flung his free arm around his kitten. The cat made a cheerful sounding noise and vibrated its happiness in the crook of Natsu's throat.

He hadn't thought he would see Happy again after an incident involving another prisoner a few weeks ago. Some crazy brat that called himself Zancrow. That kid was adjusting a little too well to combat life. It was common knowledge he even killed his own cat.

Natsu had taken exception to that when Zancrow boasted he no longer had to share portions. He had killed his best friend, and to a boy who only saw the inside of a cage - that was intolerable.

He hadn't expected his own cat to be taken as punishment.

"How did you get him back?" Natsu's eyes watered, and he almost jerked in surprise when he realized Zeref had already finished bandaging one entire hand.

The older fighter gave Natsu a mysterious smile. "I have my ways."

"Aw, c'mon, Zeref! Tell me," Natsu whined, but switched his hands obediently when Zeref gestured for it.

"Can't your older brother keep some secrets to himself?" Zeref asked, traces of amusement lightening the dark mood surrounding the cages.

"No," Natsu huffed and folded his legs under his small body. He yelped and raised a hand to his nose when Zeref reached over and flicked it.

"Well, I hope you enjoy disappointment." Zeref nodded towards Natsu's nest of thin sheets spread over the floor of his cage. "Now get some rest. I hear you're training with Acnologia tomorrow."

Natsu groaned and slunk back into his cage, his expression mutinous. "Argh! I hate him..."

Zeref's expression sharpened and he lifted a hand to hush the rebellious boy. They may not have been related by blood, but Zeref very much cared for Natsu like a little brother. The boy had more potential than the ring had seen in years. Not since Zeref himself was brought to the ring over a decade ago. Natsu had great things in store for him, if only he could quiet his mouth or his rebellious spirit.

"Acnologia is one of the few practitioners alive of your style that can actually teach you, Natsu. You will remember to respect him, _and keep your voice down,"_ Zeref hissed.

"Why are you even afraid of him? You're one of the pro fighters," Natsu mumbled around a mouthful of blue fur from his squirming friend. "It's not like you have a cat, and you even get your own room!"

Zeref sighed as he looked at the large green eyes staring at him from behind the bars. They were open and trusting. Not the eyes of a fighter. Not yet. But Zeref was sure to get him there.

One way or another.

"If you just did as you're told, you would get a room too," Zeref sighed with an air of aggravation. Natsu just stuck his tongue out.

Zeref made a frustrated sound and moved to stand up.

Only to stop when a small hand tugged on the pants leg of his sweats. Natsu was still looking stubborn, but his gaze was averted. Cheeks rosy, he mumbled something quiet under his breath.

Zeref smiled at his little brother and took his freshly bandaged hand in his.

"Goodnight, Natsu. Goodnight, Happy."

So Zeref left, unaware that in just a couple of hours, the course of their lives would change.

-::-

"Where should we put her?" a low voice grumbled, quiet enough to barely disturb the utterly silent room.

But Natsu was a very light sleeper. He always slept on the very edge of consciousness, sharp ears looking to catch voices that he knew were bad news.

This voice was bad news.

It belonged to one of the "muscle men", as the other fighters referred to them. Most of the muscle men were huge, brainless brutes meant to keep Natsu and the others in line. But this one in particular...he seemed to like hurting people.

He always gave that creepy smile when Natsu came back from a match, all busted to hell.

That smile never ceased to send a chilling shiver of warning down Natsu's spine. And even now, it wasn't something he could ignore.

Peeling one eye open, Natsu searched for the man with the mean voice.

He had to be sneaky about it, though, because if he was caught awake, he would get in trouble. And "trouble" usually consisted of rehabilitation - really, that just meant they'd beat the snot out of him - or worse, they would take away his cat again.

Happy was a comforting warm weight against Natsu's side.

Digging his grubby fingers into Happy's fur, Natsu located the muscle man.

He was a menacing shadow even in the dark, huge and imposing. Even the other kids in their cages, awake or asleep, could feel his presence and scooted away as far as they could manage. As if it might protect them.

"I dunno," answered the night guard around a yawn, leaning against the wall. "Toss her in one of the cages I guess."

"No!"

The small, scared voice rang out like a crack.

And for the first time, Natsu noticed the little girl dangling from the muscle man's hands. He had a bruising grip on her tiny arm, lifting her up so she could barely touch the ground with her toes. Despite that, she was struggling with all her might, tugging and yanking.

"Let me go!" she demanded.

"Oh, shaddup," snarled the muscle man as he jerked her arm. He turned around, perusing the cages.

The tension in the air spiked as the other kids felt the sweep of his gaze.

Natsu could practically hear their voices. _Please, please, don't come over here. Don't take my cat._ He knew because his own thoughts echoed the sentiment, just a small never-ending murmur in the back of his head.

But, he knew the exact moment that the muscle man selected his cage.

And he dragged the little girl over, ignoring her kicking and screaming. She dug her bare heels into the ground but it didn't help - in fact it only served to make the cruel man laugh. When she tripped over the hem of her pretty nightgown, tried to bite his arm, his laughter grew - cold and brittle. Stopping at Natsu's cage, the muscle man opened the door and tossed the girl inside.

She tumbled with a yelp, the scent of fresh blood meeting Natsu's nose.

She'd skinned her knees.

The muscle man continued to laugh as he slammed the door to the cage closed and locked it. "Ye're feisty, little girl. I'd pay to see ya fight," he mused.

The little girl drew her scraped knees to her chest. She glared, her anger palpable. "Let me go," was all she repeated in a small voice that wavered.

"Can't do that. Yer daddy owes us a lotta money," he said with a grin. "And if he doesn't pay up, well, it looks like you and I'll get to have some _fun_."

A chill frosted the air.

Everyone knew what fun meant. Including the little girl, who recoiled and scrambled to the back of the cage. The bruises on her arms and legs told Natsu she had probably already gotten a taste of their idea of amusement. Her back collided hard with the bars, knocking the breath from her lungs, and she struggled to breathe.

The muscle man laughed that ugly laugh, rattling the cage, before finally leaving. And silence settled in the stale room once more.

The night guard huffed out a tired sigh, muttering under his breath. But eventually he too succumbed to the pull of sleep, leaning against the stone wall by the only entrance. His gun and flashlight were tucked securely into the tool belt around his waist.

Not much longer, and the only sounds in the room were those of quiet breathing, and the occasional cough. It could get rather cold down here, and the thin blankets provided to them did nothing to keep the cool out.

Natsu was unable to sleep, and it had little to do with the temperature.

He kept sneaking glances at the small form of the girl, crouching in the corner of their prison. Her sobbing had quieted down over time, but it was obvious - and not surprising in the least - that she was still in a state of utter pain and confusion.

Seeing her like this, even if she was a stranger - Natsu couldn't bear it.

And so, carefully as not to startle her, he crouched closer, keeping his voice down.

"Do your knees hurt?"

The little girl started at his question, picking her head up and blinking at him. Almost like she'd had no idea he had been there. She stared at him for a while with wide brown eyes, taking in his appearance.

He was filthy and bruised, cuts and blisters and burns littering every inch of his skin. And for some reason, the longer she stared, the more embarrassed Natsu felt.

Suddenly, he was very aware of all the grit embedded in his nails.

The little girl finally glanced down and scrubbed her clean face with the sleeve of her gossamer nightgown. "A little…" she whispered.

"I don't have bandages or anything," Natsu began hesitantly, "but Happy always makes me feel better."

Happy was the one good thing that the Ring had given him. Happy made everything hurt less.

Even now, purring happily by Natsu's side.

"Happy?" The girl frowned, curious.

And he tried to smile even though his mouth was sore and blistered. "Happy's my best friend," he proudly proclaimed as he scooped up the purring furball at his side and handed him over to the girl.

Happy gave a startled mewl, scrambling in her arms.

"A cat," she said with awe.

Carefully, she placed a hand on top of its little head, surprised when it calmed immediately. As she massaged the soft spot behind his ears, the cat called Happy began to purr, and for the first time since she had been thrown into the cage with Natsu, the hint of a smile ghosted across her face.

Natsu watched contently, feeling relief wash through him. He wasn't surprised. Happy was _the best_ at comforting. He didn't know what he'd do without him.

The thought that he'd almost had to find out scared him all over again, even though Happy was now safely back by his side thanks to Zeref. You never knew for how long, really.

It had not been the first time they had taken Happy away - a child like Natsu, wild and impetuous, was a troublemaker by nature alone - but it had been the longest.

And so he watched the little cat purr with even more fondness than on a normal day, glad he had his best friend back, and glad that together they maybe could make their _new_ friend feel a little more welcome. As welcome as you could feel down here, in the ring.

Her future didn't exactly look bright, he knew that. He knew that better than her, and he had no intention of scaring her with the harsh truth of her situation. Forever the optimist, Natsu refused to accept it himself.

He would do anything he could to help her.

Granted, it was not much, but he wouldn't be Natsu if he didn't try with all his might.

After a little while of silence between the two (and the constant comfort of Happy's soft purring), the girl lifted her head and sent a small smile in his direction. It was shy, but grateful, and Natsu returned it gladly.

"Thank you," she whispered at last, still clutching Happy against her side. Sliding a little closer, her large eyes fixed onto his properly, not shying away this time. "I'm L-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Natsu squished her cheeks with his hand to silence her, not minding the dirt that clung to his fingers. All that left her was a confused sound, her brows furrowing and temper flaring.

"Shh," he warned. "Maybe it's better if I don't know your name."

"Why?" the young girl asked after a pause, the look of confusion not leaving her face even as his hand did. Dirt stains decorated her cheeks, but she did not notice.

He shrugged. "They can use everything against you here. The less you know, the better."

"They…" she echoed, shivering. "Who are _they_?"

"They're… well," Natsu started, and then hesitated. Who were they?

He was a nine year old boy. The inner workings of the Ring, the politics and intrigues that kept it alive, they were a threat he knew by name, but nothing much else.

"There's the muscle men," he said, a little unsure, "and a master. And people who pay to see us fight."

It was a very simple explanation, a simple way to look at it, but in the end this was exactly what it was. Even a child understood that much.

"Will I have to fight?" the girl asked, suddenly sounding insanely scared.

"I… don't think so," he replied after a moment, biting his bottom lip as he pondered her question. "You're not trained. And they said they want your dad to pay for you, so they'll keep you here until he…"

Natsu stopped talking, his mind wrapping around what he was saying, and what it came up with made the words die on his lips.

They would keep her here until her dad paid. And then…?

The girl seemed to understand, though, if the way her lip wobbled was anything to go by. "Even if my daddy pays...they're probably not going to let me go, are they?" she asked in a small voice.

Natsu looked down at his dirty hands. "No, they won't."

The Ring never let anyone go.

The only way to escape...was to die. And judging by the solemn, empty look in the girl's dark brown eyes as she smoothed her hands through Happy's fur, she'd figured that out already.

"I...I don't want to stay here," she murmured after a little while. Her fingers clutched at Happy, who squeaked in protest. "I want to go home."

She would die if she stayed here. Feisty or not, she wasn't trained and she was too kind for the place. She would last all of two months before dying either in the ring, or because of intense "rehabilitation".

She would die…

Natsu didn't want that. He didn't want his new friend to die - he'd had to say goodbye to so many of his friends already.

So there was only one way to make sure that didn't happen…

"Don't worry," he told her in a low voice and touched her hand. "You're not gonna die."

The girl blinked at him. "I'm not?"

"No… Because I'm gonna get you outta here."

He could see the disbelief weighing heavy in her eyes. Already this place was changing her in ways no one could predict. But that was the way of the ring. One look at her fine nightgown and her clean, if messy, crown of golden hair was evidence enough. She came from a wealthy family. Whatever life she might have had before was now forever derailed.

Even if she escaped, there was a bit of innocence crushed from her eyes.

Natsu didn't know why he couldn't stand the thought of her being hurt anymore. He had been locked in the ring for a year already and had already changed so much just to survive. He swallowed around the tight knot of fear in his throat.

He couldn't let the same thing happen to her. He just couldn't.

"How?" her voice wavered, quiet with fear but trembling with hope. "If you could escape, why haven't you done it already?"

Natsu glanced around himself at the rows of still cages, all quiet and asleep. No doubt they were all so relieved they had been passed over. Natsu was still different from them, some of the kids having been in cages for years before getting moved out into the training quarters when they were old enough.

He reached out, pressing his burned fingers against the girl's soft, small hands. They were even tinier than his, clean of scars and grime. He pressed them against Happy's fur, and the kitten let out a vibrating purr.

"Because we didn't have each other before," Natsu's whispered declaration was earnest, and he could see how it sank into the girl. "They won't hurt you until they know if your dad will pay. So don't worry, you have some time."

In the back of his head, he could hear his father's voice. Igneel was a world class fighter. Natsu loved to see him fight on their small television. It only had one, sometimes two colors if it was shaken hard enough, but it was a memory he clung to. Igneel was a professional fighter, but he had no money.

Because he didn't believe their style was meant to be exploited for money. So all of his earnings went to keeping their lights on and funding a community gym for troubled kids.

 _Help anyone_ , Igneel would say, _but especially those who can't protect themselves._

Natsu gripped onto the girl's wrists, determination flaring in his eyes. "I promise you. I'll help you escape."

"Thank you," her voice trembled around a watery smile.

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We hope you enjoyed the prologue! Again, we'd love to hear your thoughts so don't be shy!

Next chapter! Chapter 1: Sanctioning Body


	2. Sanctioning Body

Omg such a resounding response for the prologue! Wow! Some of you left such lengthy and detailed reviews that made us squeal. Thank you! Even the simplest one or two words of praise is enough to make us smile. We're ** _so happy_** that you guys like ITR so far.

Let's hope you're reading to get down into the meat of the story, yeah?

Also we had a few questions/concerns in the reviews that I'd like to address. This story will be **updated weekly** as mentioned in the author's note last chapter (I apologize, I probably should have bolded it last time because it was in a wall of text aha). And it might be best to keep from _assuming_ things from the prologue alone. Because nothing is ever as it seems in the Ring...

As always, any and all reviews are appreciated! We'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions!

* * *

 **rated:** _M for mature content_

 **summary:** _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

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CHAPTER ONE

 **Sanctioning Body**

 _a group that organizes world title bouts_

* * *

 **Fifteen years later...**

* * *

Gajeel Redfox wasn't a man of many words. He never had been, preferring to stay to himself instead of mingling with his peers and grabbing a beer with them after work. Of course he was friendly enough to his partner and a select few in the department, but most were too afraid to go anywhere near the frightening-looking detective.

He was a tall beast of a man, with wild black hair that fell down his back. His right arm was scarred, but that was hardly the most frightening thing about him.

It was the rows of piercings that were studded in his flesh along his arms and in his face. Each silver piece flashed when he scowled, or when his arms flexed in a menacing gesture. When he was in a black mood, people ran for cover and vacated the gym where he usually went to blow off some steam.

His appearance hardly met department regulations, but that, and the cat that followed him around, were conveniently overlooked by his captain.

Because if anyone ever needed back up, Redfox was the one they wanted in their corner. So everyone ignored the long hair, and no one asked about the cat.

He was a perfect addition to Vice as one of their detectives. The way he spoke and looked only served to intimidate junkies and dealers. But to those who he knew and trusted on his squad, Gajeel was a softie.

And unfortunately, some people tried to take advantage of that fact.

Namely, one blonde journalist and her small, cute friend. The pair always tried to squeeze him for information they needed and, dammit, it worked most of the time-much to Gajeel's aggravation.

He just couldn't say no.

And whenever he tried to get them to back off with a glare or a snarl, they just giggled and patted his arm. Like they were trying to calm an angry kitten - _there, there, yes you're very frightening, so scary._ None of his usual scare tactics worked with them.

So he had resigned himself to simply accepting their spontaneous visits to the precinct.

When he caught a flash of bouncing blue hair out of the corner of his eye, Gajeel heaved a sigh and waited for the inevitable.

"Surprise!" A young woman, barely tall enough to reach Gajeel's chest, flung her slender arms around his middle.

He made an odd grunting noise, as if to protest, but immediately consented when his arm came around to rest over her shoulders. "Oy, Levy, this's a precinct. You just can't be flingin' yourself at a cop." Gajeel scowled at her, but she appeared completely immune since he lacked any real threat to his words.

He was such a pushover.

"I can't?" Levy asked, her eyes falsely wide in a show of innocence. "Not even when Lucy and I brought you cake?"

The studs over the ridge of his eye lifted and he glanced over her shoulder. "Bunny girl is here too? Cuz I don't see any cake."

That was when Levy pointed under Gajeel's elbow back towards his desk. A sly smile was on her face, faintly apologetic, but the detective was already whipping around to see his traitorous partner gleefully showing off their current case to his MIA blonde friend.

"Lockser! The hell are you doing?" Gajeel stomped over and yanked the file from his partner's hands. He glared at both women, neither one even batting an eye. When that didn't work, he turned his narrowed eyes to his cat who was sitting on his cat-cushion and blinking demurely at the whole group.

Pantherlily yawned, stretching out his paws.

Some guard cat he was.

"Juvia was just showing Miss Lucy the case we were working on while Miss Levy distracted you," Gajeel's partner said with a deceptive air of innocence.

Gajeel growled out a sigh of frustration but snapped his attention over towards his friend…

...who was currently trying to peek into a stack of unopened files.

Gajeel slammed his hand on top of the stack and leaned over with a scowl. "Get your journalist nose outta my cases, Heartfilia."

The woman sitting in _his_ chair like it was some sort of throne looked at him with mischievous eyes, partially obscured by her long, blonde hair. She pouted at him, looking a little put out that she had been caught so soon.

"C'mon, Gajeel, don't be such a hardass. It's your birthday, we bought you cake!" Lucy pointed towards the edge of his desk.

And sure enough, there was a large cake - in the shape of a screw - resting there.

"It's your favorite," Levy teased from behind, and Gajeel turned enough to see she had picked up his black cat and gathered him safely into her arms.

Said black cat settled with content, purring away happily as Levy stroked his fur and scratched the special place behind his left ear. With most people, Lily's reaction would have been volatile - he hadn't received that scar on his eye for being a good, sweet kitty. But, to Levy - and basically anyone else Gajeel considered a friend - the cat was all but harmless.

He was a ham if anything.

A traitorous ham, Gajeel noted with a snort.

Juvia crossed her arms, looking quite unhappy. "Why did Gajeel never tell Juvia it was his birthday today? She is such a bad partner!"

Gajeel huffed. "Not like it's my actual birthday anyways," he muttered.

"Huh?" Juvia cocked her head, having caught his words.

"Can't remember my real birthday," he clarified, and Juvia's face fell, any kind of playful accusation ridden off her face. "Today's the day I got out."

Her mouth dropped open into a silent 'O' as those words registered and her expression sobered. It was a well known fact among those who knew Gajeel the closest that he did not come from an normal past. No, his was filled with abuse and blood, of forced combat with high stakes and low rewards.

He had been kidnapped as a child, as most were, and raised in an environment where you either fought, or you died. There was hardly ever any escape. Once the Ring had its claws in you, there was no hope for a normal life afterwards. There was no profit in letting a fighter go, not when the rich wanted to watch a bloodsport without official rulings or refs. More often than not, if a fighter scrubbed out, they were taken out back and killed.

Gajeel had been one of the lucky ones. After a fight gone bad, the Master of his ring, Phantom Lord, had deemed him unworthy of continuing. He had been taken out to the back of the old warehouse.

Even now he could remember what it was like, dark and cloudy with a torrent of rain pouring down on him. The water had chilled him to the bone right away, and cooled the aches he received from his opponent. It was so rare he got a chance to see the outside, and he remembered thinking it was a shame he wouldn't get to see the sun again.

He had been forced down to his knees on the concrete, his hands jerked behind his head and fingers interlocked. Gajeel had closed his eyes, trying to breathe past a bloody nose and the ache in his ribs. He could still feel those seconds before the gun was about to go off like each one was a strike - harder than the last.

But then he had been saved, by a slip of a girl with blonde hair and an army of bodyguards flanking her on either side.

Lucy, Heiress of the Heartfilia family.

And for some reason she seemed very interested in saving him.

It was then she told him of how she had been held captive by one of the Rings before, and she was searching for the boy who helped her escape. She had somehow managed to catch wind of a fight going on here, and as a result had rushed over with her guards to see if she could free him. Lucy's optimism had been blinding, if a little naive. But it had saved Gajeel, and that was good enough for him.

So he told her what he knew. Her expression had deflated for a mere second when he revealed the existence of two more Rings to her - and that the one she had discovered was Phantom Lord.

Not the one she was looking for.

Much to his amazement, this hadn't discouraged her. Instead, Lucy pressed on, welcoming Gajeel into her home and helping him adjust to life outside a ring. Even helping him finish school. They both shared similar goals. Both wanted to bring the Ring down, but not just one - _all_ of them.

"Then it is a happy day, is it not?" Juvia asked, bringing Gajeel's mind back to the present.

He huffed and eyed the three women who looked content to gang up on him with their optimism. "Yeah, yeah, it sure is," Gajeel grunted, and watched Levy tug Juvia over towards the cake to cut themselves some slices.

He leaned towards Lucy, whose wide eyed gaze of innocence didn't fool him one bit. He knew there was no point in trying to intimidate the girl, she had nerves of steel and rose to nothing. On that same note, Gajeel knew Lucy's schedule well enough to know there wasn't much wiggle room for dropping off a cake impromptu - especially when they already had made plans for that evening.

"So, tell me what you're really here for," Gajeel muttered. "I know it ain't just to snoop in my files. You'd do that anyway without the distraction of a cake."

Lucy gave him a sly smile, her fingers curling up under her chin and she propped her head up to him. "You're absolutely right. Levy is usually more than enough to keep you occupied."

Never had Gajeel's entire body flushed a shade of red so fast in his life. His mouth opened and closed in a gape similar to that of a fish, and Lucy was treated to the rare sight of Gajeel _squirming_.

In fact he had gone so stock still at her words, Lucy wasn't even sure he was breathing anymore. She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes, grinning when his red eyes followed the movement. Deciding to have mercy on the poor man, Lucy reached into her purse and shook out a crumpled newspaper she shoved in the bag.

It was still a little stained with her morning coffee, and the crumbs of the bagel she had half-devoured on her mad rush to work were caught between the pages. Not that Gajeel would much care about a bit of messiness, after all he had such a one track mind it wasn't likely he'd notice.

"You know how I started writing for the paper?" Lucy asked, dropping it onto his desk and flipping rapidly through the papers until she got to the right section. "Well a co-worker of mine wrote this article; it's a simple piece about a runaway from the local orphanage that segues into a discussion on treating homeless children."

"Okay?" Gajeel frowned, not seeing the point behind the article. His eyes flashed over the text with disinterest, but couldn't pick up on any of the pertinent details.

Reading had never been his strong suit, and he only tended to do it when he was looking carefully over reports.

"I think my co-worker left out facts or didn't cover the story properly," Lucy rushed out in a quiet voice. "I think this girl was kidnapped!"

"Why?" Gajeel asked, his fingertips dragging across the thin paper. "Your own colleague wrote the girl probably ran away."

"I don't think she would, though. From everything I heard about her at the home, she was a sweet and timid girl." Lucy jabbed her finger into the papers, tapping. "She isn't the type to run away from a group home. It sounded like she had a good thing going for her."

"Going behind your colleague's back to double check their fact finding and debunk their articles? You must be real popular at the paper," Gajeel jabbed.

Lucy didn't bite. "I'm right, Gajeel, just look into it yourself and you'll see that I am," she pried.

Gajeel made a frustrated sound, but he seemed to relent under her pressing. He glanced behind himself to see if Levy was still distracting Juvia before continuing in a hushed whisper, "Okay, say you're right, at worst this is a kidnapping - you should be bringing it to Major Crimes. Not Vice." He leveled a sour look on Lucy. "I already have plenty of side jobs to look into if you recall."

This seemed like the wrong thing to say if the dangerous flash to Lucy's eyes was any inclination. Her hand slammed into Gajeel's desk inches away from his own large one, her gaze furious. "Look _again."_

Reluctant, his eyes dropped down to the paper with an obedience that spoke of self preservation. He was a tough guy, but Lucy's kick was nothing to joke around about.

"Wendy Marvell?" Gajeel frowned at the name. "Why does that sound familiar?"

Lucy's angry expression melted into one of happiness, her face practically glowing. She leaned over his desk, cheeks flushed with an excitement that, Gajeel knew from past experiences, only ended in broken bones and a trip to the hospital.

"Wendy Marvell is a youth champion in her fighting division," Lucy pressed, her finger dragging to a line in the article that had truly captured her attention the first time she saw it. "Look at her practicing style."

Gajeel leaned over the piece of paper, casting his shadow across the lines of writing. Nonetheless, his eyes fixed on the words she had wanted him to see in a split second.

Dragonslaying arts.

His breath caught, but he made sure to remain outwardly unimpressed.

Moving back and picking the folder up with him, he gave her one of his darkest looks. But when his eyes met Lucy's, he knew he had not fooled her.

"You know what this means," Lucy rushed through her words. "The Ring is finally surfacing again. After five years of laying low, they need fresh blood to bring in new revenue. A fighter like Wendy wouldn't be easy to kidnap and with the direction her life was heading there isn't a reason for her to run away!"

Even if Lucy was just grasping at straws, stringing together a story with few facts...Gajeel had to admit that it sounded plausible. The more she talked, the more he found himself willing to listen.

This was how it happened every time.

"You of all people know how hard it is to take down a practitioner of dragonslaying. It's so rare, she's the only known child to study it." Lucy gave Gajeel a firm, knowing look. "There are a few undocumented cases, of course."

"Bunny girl - "

"Now, I have a contact that owes me a favor and she told me there's a fight coming up with some major hotshots in the Ring and audience." Lucy curled her hands into excited fists, the papers crinkling. "She also told me the red corner will be occupied by Tartaros in the visitors' slot."

She was barely stopping for breath, her determination pushing her onward so she didn't even notice how Gajeel was looming over her.

"If you could just get one of your contacts to swing a ticket then maybe I could - "

Gajeel knew the direction she was heading, and before she could get another word out, he slammed the file back onto his desk. "No," he ground out with a scowl.

"No?" Lucy looked taken aback, as did Levy who abruptly turned away from Juvia.

They glanced at each other, as if the thought that he might say no had never occurred to them. Admittedly, it was very rare when it actually happened.

"Gajeel," Lucy murmured after a moment, "don't you realize that this could be our chance? We've been searching for this ring for so long and have had nothing but dust and stale trails to go on. This is our first _real_ clue," she said, grabbing the file for emphasis and shaking it. "We need to follow where it leads!"

"I can tell you where it's gonna lead," Gajeel growled as he snatched the folder. "It's gonna lead right to the Ring's front door."

Lucy crossed her arms, cocking her hip. "And?"

"And it's too dangerous!" he bellowed. "Do you have any idea of what goes on in that place, Lucy? Any fuckin' idea at all?" The use of her real name startled her, as evidenced by her sharp intake, and Gajeel forced himself to exhale slowly. "Of course you do," he muttered then, forcing down his anger, "you were there…"

Sometimes he forgot that.

He forgot that Lucy had seen the Ring for herself with her own eyes. That she'd, against all odds, escaped...and then helped him do the same.

Counting to five, Gajeel closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "You're not gonna let this go...are you?"

Lucy Heartfilia, a journalist, was the epitome of stubborn.

And she'd dedicated her life to uncovering and disbanding the operation that had stolen so much of Gajeel's life. And the lives of so many others. She wouldn't rest until she'd accomplished that goal.

When he opened his eyes again, she had a small smile on her face. Both reassuring and cheeky as she shook her head. "Nope."

She'd go rushing into this headfirst, with or without backup.

 _Someone_ had to cover her ass. Because if she got hurt, he'd probably never forgive himself.

"All right, fine," Gajeel sighed. "But I'm going with you."

He hated the Ring. He hated everything it stood for, and the thought of it was enough to make his hands itch. Even now, five years after his rescue, he woke from vivid night terrors in a cold sweat. But he too had made a vow to destroy the vile organization, it was why he'd become a detective, why he'd forced himself to adapt to society - or more aptly put, reality.

He was prepared to go back if they needed him.

What he was not prepared for were the vehement protests from both Lucy and Levy. "No!" they shouted, their voices clashing.

The precinct was eerily quiet as his colleagues raised silent brows.

Of course, he had expected resistance from Lucy, but Levy was a surprise. Her small face was pinched in a frown, golden eyes hot and angry. She crossed her arms and angled a look at him that almost made Gajeel want to take a step back.

For such a small woman, she could be downright frightening.

"You're not going in there without backup, Bunny girl. No if's, and's, or but's," Gajeel said, giving his back to Levy after the precinct was once again filled with busy noises. "And since I'm the only one here who's been workin' the damn case, then that means that I - "

"You can't, Gajeel," Lucy interrupted with a shake of her head. "That place...it isn't good for you. Who knows how it will affect you if you go back."

It would, he was sure, affect him...poorly. And that was a shitty way of putting it.

It would probably be better to say that if he ever set foot in the Ring again, he'd be likely to suffer a mental break. He'd finally lose it.

But there were lives other than his own at stake. Innocent ones.

Gajeel lifted a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "Yeah, maybe," he admitted. "But I'm still gonna -"

"No." Levy's firm voice cut through his at the same time that he felt a tug on the back of his shirt. She gave a weak yank, and he wheeled around to stare down at her. "That's not the only reason. You're way too recognizable, Gajeel… There's no way they'd forget someone like you, especially since you escaped," she whispered, big eyes tracking over his prominent features.

The metal piercings that dotted his face, decorated his arms, and other hidden parts of him.

Falling stiff and silent, Gajeel realized that she was right. His hands clenched at his sides as he fought the urge to duck away from her gaze.

Who would forget, after all, a teenager with more metal in his body than common sense?

And even if he took those piercings out, which he doubted he could, there was no changing his eyes. It wasn't the color of them that gave him away - a deep, bloody red - it was the haunted, empty, soulless gaze that eventually infected all of the Ring's fighters like an illness.

That mark lasted for a lifetime.

Even on his "good days" Gajeel had trouble not scaring people half out of their wits with eye contact alone.

"You're right," he breathed on a huge sigh. "They'd peg me in two seconds and it'd ruin the whole thing. I can't go anywhere near that place without raisin' twenty fuckin' red flags… But you sure as hell aren't goin' in there alone, you understand me?" He swung a glower to Lucy, who smiled sheepishly.

He didn't think he'd ever be able to explain just how grateful he was that she and Levy never cowered even when he was at his worst.

Lucy just shook off the look like it was dust on her jacket, nodding. "Gajeel, of course I'm not going in alone. I'm not stupid, you know."

No, she wasn't stupid. In fact, she was pretty smart when she wanted to be - and ruthless too.

"Levy's going to wire me up and keep watch from the Hackmobile a few blocks away," Lucy told him, to which he stiffened again.

She wanted to drag Levy into this mess?

A million protests bubbled up his throat - _she had no part in this, it was too dangerous, what if she got hurt_ \- but before they could spill out, there was a tentative hand on his arm. The bunched muscles loosened and Gajeel realized he'd gripped the edge of his desk so tightly that his fingers had left small dents in the surface.

He inhaled slowly and counted to five.

"I'll be away from any danger," Levy's soft voice came, her hand on his arm squeezing for emphasis. "And I'll still be close enough to hack into their video and surveillance systems so I can keep an eye on Lu."

It was a good plan, Gajeel had to admit. Even though he didn't like it.

But he drew the line at Levy.

"I'm comin' with you. In the Hackmobile," he clarified before either of the women could shoot him down again. "I need to supervise."

He wouldn't be able to do anything, he knew that. Levy was an expert hacker and could keep track of Lucy just fine on her own - and she also happened to drive like a bat out of hell. The girls would be okay even if he didn't go...but he needed to be there.

Even if it was just as unneeded backup.

"But don't get all gung-ho on me," Gajeel snapped at the glow on Lucy's face. The one which told him he had gotten played by her doe eyes and hopeful smile. Again.

"I'll look into this missing person report, and if it's related to human trafficking then I'll make a request with Vice." Gajeel jabbed a meaty finger at her. "We are going through the right channels for this, ya hear? We're gonna make this thing stick and find this little girl."

"All right, Gajeel, just hurry."

* * *

And the plot moves forward! Gajeel and his dark past is introduced, along with new mysteries...

 **Thanks for reviewing:** _FreshMilkySoul, SpeedyMomentum, Tabasco-Devil, Guest, Guest, MaryDreamer, Guest, Guest, AcerVentus672, Guest, JeslynBoo, Fusion0104, fanficlove2014, Mo0nyMoon, Ryuu91, BlessYourStar21, Droobles. is. a. funny. word, heyitsmogan, Phiafairy, hockettaustin1, Rhianna Park, Dakryma, wishyouweremedontya, Twishadowhunter, Irhina, Prick 'n Improper, That'sRidiculous, KaUiA, Stenabobena, NaLuFTfanatic_

Next time! Chapter 2: Caught Cold


	3. Caught Cold

Wow, this is amazing! So many reviews for the first chapter alone... _ **thank you so much, guys!**_ We're glad you're enjoying ITR so far. You've got some interesting theories going from just two tidbits, we love to hear what you're thinking. Those long paragraphs astound us and bring us to the brink of tears, as it means we kept you interested enough to spend five to ten minutes just expressing yourself and what you thought - thank you, we're so flattered and honored. And as many of you hoped, _Natsu makes his official appearance in this chapter!_

Also, we had a question about whether or not there is **magic** in this story. Now, if we're talking fairy dust magic, then sadly no. The only magic that exists in this world is hardwork, love, and the occasional miracle.

We hope you're excited ufufu...

As always, any and all thoughts are appreciated (even if it's just one or two words). Your comments bring our writing mojo to life!

Back into the Ring we go...

* * *

 **rated:** _M for mature content_

 **summary:** _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER TWO

 **Caught Cold  
**

 _a fighter knocked out early in the fight who was not mentally prepared or warmed up properly_

* * *

The steady pounding of feet dancing across a mat and harsh breathing were the only sounds echoing in the quiet. Thick chains and rope hung from the ceiling, some used as support for sandbags while others were empty.

Occasionally the sounds would break with a dull _thump_ of a fist or heel striking a sandbag. The movements belonged to a man, his body twisting in complicated motions as he brought his imaginary enemy down. Pink hair, a little shaggy, hung just over his eyes while the rest was tied back into a small tail.

Fifteen years had transformed the young, frightened boy Natsu had been into something else. Something a little more dangerous.

He snapped an elbow down onto the bag he was pounding on, letting out a noise of satisfaction when it groaned under his assault. The seam had begun to loosen when Natsu started, and the steady trickle of sand that hit the mat told him the stitches popped.

Breathing out hard through his nose, Natsu yanked the wrappings loose from around his knuckles and headed towards the ring. He smiled at the sight of his strange, blue cat sitting by the ropes, stubbornly waiting for him. His butt was plopped firmly on Natsu's scarf, as if he were guarding it while his owner was distracted.

"Hey, Happy," Natsu greeted his cat with a smile and bent over to pet him behind his ears and down his spine.

Happy meowed at him loudly, waving a paw through the air but moving enough for Natsu to retrieve his scarf.

One end of the scarf was tossed over the ropes so Natsu could rub a towel over his face and neck. He didn't much care for worrying about making his scarf sticky, but he wasn't going to go out of his way to make it that way.

Once a month they had their clothes all confiscated, leaving them naked or in just a towel while they waited for them to dry. And then it was a race to retrieve what was theirs. If he wasn't fast enough he could end up with a shirt that was two sizes too small or a pair of pants that engulfed him.

No, his scarf was too important to be thrown in with the wash. Luckily, Happy had his claws and protected his scarf like the best sort of anti-theft device money could buy.

His thoughts were derailed halfway through the process of slinging his scarf back around his neck. The doors to the gym slammed open, startling Natsu and causing him to reflexively stiffen. His nerves were alight and adrenaline burned through his veins. Each thump of his heart whispered _fight...fight...fight…_

Slow, he managed to strangle the impulse to blindly swing when he spotted three people walking into the room. Natsu's eye caught on a blond haired, wild-eyed man. His lip curled into a sneer at the sight of him, an expression that was reflected back with a superior smirk. Back when he was younger, and the muscle men tormented him while he was in his cage, Natsu had no idea who they really were.

But looking at the blond man in front of him reminded him that sometimes people chose to be the muscle. Even fighters who were captured like him. If anyone asked Natsu, he always thought Zancrow was little touched in the head.

Not even he could hold Natsu's attention when he looked past him. Because his stomach turned to lead at to sight of the man Zancrow was flanking. Black hair and eyes, pale, and deceptively calm.

"Zeref." Natsu's greeting was short and clipped.

Zancrow's face twisted into an odd expression, half-smile, half snarl. "That's _Master_ Zeref to you, swine!" he cackled. "Or has the Salamander already forgotten and need another lesson in manners?"

Natsu grit his teeth and his shoulders rolled forward. "Why don't you try it? I'd love another chance to drag your ass across the matt for everyone in this dump to see."

"Oho! Sounds fun..." Zancrow snapped back, ready to advance on the tense Natsu.

But before he could take so much as a step, the sound of a throat being cleared stopped them. It was quiet, but could as well have been a gunshot judging from the impact it had on the whole room.

Both Natsu and Zancrow froze, neither daring to take even another inch towards the other and make good on their threats.

Zeref had demanded quiet, and his presence alone was enough to fill the room, smothering all fights inside. The Master of their ring - the title certainly suited him, and he had worn it well every day since he'd obtained the rank...fifteen years ago, when Zeref had slaughtered their previous Master.

Anger burned in the back of Natsu's throat, and he ached to lunge at the man he had once considered his brother - before Zeref had given up every shred of decency he once had in his body. However Natsu's own sense of self-preservation tore through him with equal strength to his rage, forcing his body to remain immobile. Instead, his eyes followed over the dark man who was leading a small figure inside.

"Let's try to refrain from such harsh language in front of our new recruit. She's still very young, after all," Zeref continued as if blind to the seething glare he was being given by Natsu. It probably didn't even bother him, with how rare it was Natsu looked at him with anything other than rage.

Green eyes snapped down to the small girl by Zeref's side, and Natsu felt something cold drop into his stomach like weights of ice.

 _Oh no…_

Not again.

The girl's hair was long and in two pig tails down the side of her head. On each tail was a bright red ribbon, shiny and so out of place in a place like this. Natsu's heart ached already, but his jaw felt like it was wired shut.

"Little Wendy here will be joining Tartaros," Zancrow announced to everyone present, but received no reactions save for cold stares. It seemed to only spur him on. "Maybe she can even fight in the next tournament," he laughed coldly. "Two weeks should be enough, eh?"

Natsu wanted to punch the ugly grin right off his face.

Before he could rip through the invisible wires holding him back and release a tirade of insults, however, the master chose to speak again, dismissing Zancrow with a cold glance.

"In fact, the upcoming tournament is another reason for today's meeting," Zeref said with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "The participants will be announced as soon as the matter at hand is settled."

Natsu's fists clenched forcibly at his sides, dry skin straining over his bruised knuckles. 'The matter at hand' was a scared little girl, not some document to be filled out and filed away. Well - not to him, anyway.

"As of tomorrow, since trainer Acnologia is out on some business, Wendy's basic training will be conducted by Natsu," he informed them, eyes moving to his younger brother without batting a lash.

Natsu froze at the mention of his name. He might as well have cut him open and dumped a rock in his stomach. Something told him Zeref knew exactly that the thought of playing a part in breaking down the spirit of this little girl repulsed Natsu to the bone. He had to know.

And yet he had chosen him. Sure, Natsu was good - better than good - but there would have been other skilled fighters jumping at the chance of proving their worth, or inflicting the same pain they had lived through on the newcomer.

Maybe then, it was good. Maybe he could lessen her suffering to the best of his ability.

Vowing this to himself, Natsu gave a short nod before averting his eyes and clenching his jaw. Acnologia was not a merciful trainer. He'd make sure to protect this little girl from him and any other bastards - just like he had protected the last whose fate had intermingled with his.

But that was long ago now.

The little girl called Wendy was led off at Zeref's command, to be taken to her new home - a small, dirty cell underground, where sunlight never reached. It was where everyone was taken first: only one of many steps to quench their hope and make them obedient.

Her eyes locked with Natsu's for just a small instant as she was ushered past him, wide and teary-eyed, and the smile of encouragement never made it to his face.

The dread he felt barely had time to settle in his stomach when Zeref already began announcing this tournament's participants, reading names off a smudged list he'd filled out by hand.

Natsu never paid much attention to the fighters of light and heavy weight class; those were parts of the tournament that did not concern him. With his 77kg, he was a solid middle weight. Every two months, when the tournaments were held, five fighters of each class were elected.

And every time, the closer the date came, tensions spiked and disquiet rose.

Every time their names were called, their thoughts were almost palpable. _Not me_.

"Ezel, Fran, Max, Natsu, and Keyes," Zeref read with his ever-calm voice, moving on without as much as a glance at the people he had selected.

Natsu, though not surprised to hear his name, grunted angrily. So he was supposed to train a newcomer _and_ prepare for his own fights? Had he pissed someone off lately?

Hard to tell - he always pissed people off.

Last time around he hadn't had to go into the ring, but it wasn't out of the ordinary for him to be selected on the regular. He'd gotten used to it.

A part of him craved it. The rush of adrenaline, the fire coursing through his veins as his body worked, the thrill of the fight, the urge to survive, the moment he knew victory was his; all these things had become a part of him he wasn't sure he could live without.

But he never wanted to seriously hurt people. He hated that he was forced to fight to near-death more often than not, with no rules or judges to stop them. Those were gritty, primal fights for survival; there was nothing pretty about them. They were held like animals in a cage, treated like livestock, valuable but disposable. And there was no way out.

He wondered about the people who paid to see them fight like this.

They were all rich, of course. Rich and bored and voyeuristic.

They paid for a bloodsport, for their fights, their time and their bodies alike. All of the victims of the ring, they were toys in every way.

This had been his reality for most part of his life. How long now, years upon years? Over ten at least. It was hard to keep track of time here, sometimes.

Happy stroked along his legs, as if feeling his discomfort. Smiling down at his old friend, he picked up his constant companion. The cat had been through as much as him, always by his side. Gently flicking his torn ear, he tugged him under his arm and made for the exit.

He didn't grace Zeref with another glance.

-::-

"I thought the police were finished with this runaway nonsense?"

"Just coverin' all our bases, making doubly sure no one missed anything important," Gajeel told the irate, frumpy old woman at the door to the Children's Home. He could tell she wasn't a fan of men in blue judging by the scowl on her face and the way she looked down her nose at him. "I'm just here to ask a couple questions about Wendy Marvel."

He'd already stopped by the public gym and spoken to the trainer's there. As well as the teachers at the school.

They'd all said the same thing - that Wendy was a good little girl, if shy, and that she'd been aching to be adopted for a while now. That she'd been worried and stressed since her birthday a few months prior. That while it was unsettling she'd run away, it wasn't exactly surprising to them.

Kids older than twelve had a harder time being adopted, after all.

The orphanage was the final stop. And so far, Gajeel had found next to nothing to even insinuate that the Ring was somehow involved in her disappearance.

Naturally, it was souring his mood.

"Wendy, Wendy, Wendy…" The old woman rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Little chit is causing problems when she isn't even here anymore. She was more trouble than she was worth sometimes, I swear…"

Gajeel fought the scowl trying to force itself onto his face. "Mind if I come inside?"

The woman grumbled under her breath, something about "no good trouble makers", but stepped aside nonetheless and invited him in. She didn't go out of her way to make him feel welcome, however.

He went through the routine questions - when was the last time you saw the girl, how was she acting, did you see anything suspicious that day, did she leave any notes, has she made contact since her disappearance - and the old woman answered them with clipped, repeated answers. No, no, and no.

She had no idea where Wendy had gone and from her attitude, it seemed that she didn't really care quite frankly.

Gajeel stood in the kitchen as the main caretaker fixed herself some coffee. "Do you think she's the type to run away?" he asked.

"Kids are all the same," was all she said.

Which meant that she honestly had no perception of Wendy's individual personality or habits. Or basically anything useful.

Great.

Gajeel pushed the air out through his nose and closed his eyes, preparing to chalk everything up to happenstance to a very unhappy Lucy. He hated happenstance and coincidences almost as much as she did, because in his world there was no such thing as happenstance or coincidence. But, it seemed that this was the one instance where they applied…

Or at least, he thought so until he felt eyes on his back.

The same eyes that had been following him the entire time he'd been in the Home. They'd tracked him relentlessly, trying to be sneaky. But children were never as sneaky as they thought themselves to be.

Gajeel glanced over his shoulder to spy two blue eyes peeking around the corner at him.

Upon being caught, however, the owner of the eyes let out a frightened little gasp and went to hide.

"Hey," Gajeel called before they could disappear, "stop hiding and come on out."

There was a long stretch of silence where Gajeel waited with a startling degree of patience. Slowly, a girl appeared, her eyes a bright shade of blue and hair an even brighter pink. They were done up in two pigtails on either side of her young face, just like Wendy.

She was about the same age as his runaway girl, and he had the vague impression that the two girls could have been friends. She was timid, but held her chin up to him bravely.

The girl had some brass in her. Good, maybe she could tell him something her overseer had neglected to mention.

"All right, kid, what's your name?" Gajeel asked, getting straight to the point.

Before the girl could answer, however, the main caretaker turned around with her coffee. "Chelia, what are you doing?" she snapped and the girl flinched. "Eavesdropping is rude and I know we didn't teach you that here."

The girl, Chelia, hung her head. "Sorry, Ma'am. But I couldn't help myself. I'm worried about Wendy…" she murmured as she scuffed her dirty babydoll shoe against the tiled floor. Blue eyes blinked back tears.

"Were you two friends?" Gajeel asked her.

He relished the thought of speaking to someone other than the older woman behind him. Her voice was growing to irritate him.

Chelia glanced at him for a moment. But again, before she could speak, the caretaker butted in.

"Friends?" the woman snorted and sipped her hot coffee. "More like partners in crime. The two were always together, separating themselves from all the other children, more interested in being outcasts than - "

"I was asking the kid," snapped Gajeel.

He'd had it with that grump and her clearly jaded view of the children in her care. And if he had to listen to her talk for another second, Gajeel swore he was going to punch something. Maybe her face.

He wasn't quite sure.

But, just in case she had any second thoughts about opening her mouth again, he turned a hot glare on her. His eyes on full menace.

The older woman paled and took another sip of her coffee. "Continue…" she whispered.

Chelia glanced between the two adults, unsure if she should speak once she had been reprimanded already. Gajeel twisted a look at the woman who was so deep in her coffee now, it looked like the old bag was about to fall into her cup.

"Don't worry about her," Gajeel grunted. "You're not gonna get in trouble for anything you tell me, and there's a chance I can help find your friend if you share what you know."

The young girl was nervous, and filled with more anxiousness than what should have been right for someone her age. A harboring suspicion was beginning to form in the back of his mind, but he didn't speak on it.

Speaking with a gentler voice than what he was used to, Gajeel bent down to meet Chelia's eyes. "You want to speak somewhere in private?"

The caretaker whipped around at once, her eyes flying open wide and a small splatter of coffee bouncing up onto her collar.

"Absolutely not! She is just a young girl, and she has to be questioned with her guardian present - which is me!" she protested, the grip on her cup tight, fingers claw-like in their hold.

Gajeel lifted a hand towards her, his eyes sharp enough to stop her in her tracks. "Maybe. But somethin' is tellin' me Chelia here won't object. Right?"

Gajeel looked down at the girl, who slowly, almost imperceptibly, nodded.

Smiling grimly, he gave one last glare at the woman that was beginning to remind him more and more of a bone-picking raven, and led the young girl off into the corridor. They slipped into a room she picked out, and Gajeel immediately guessed it had to be her bedroom. The bunk bed next to the wall was empty, and the suspicion grew in him that Chelia might have been Wendy's roommate.

They sat down at a ridiculously small table, Gajeel's shins bumping against its edge as he grumpily sat on an equally small chair. Great. This better bring him some results.

This room had not been renovated in a long time, and the furniture was much more befitting of toddlers than teenagers. Gajeel stared at the brittle paint on the wall, thinking if he exhaled it might come off altogether.

"So," he started, fixing his whole concentration on the girl opposite of him, "I have a feeling you got a lot to tell me."

The girl seemed torn between intimidation of his looming figure, and amusement of his contrasting surroundings. She took a deep breath, opened her mouth, but then closed it again.

"Maybe start by telling me about yourself," he suggested. "And your relationship with Wendy."

At the mention of the girl's name, determination flashed up behind her eyes.

"My name is Chelia Blendy. Wendy and I were roommates here," Chelia spoke, her tone desperate for Gajeel to believe her.

He propped his elbows onto the wobbly table, moving slow and careful, afraid if he applied too much pressure the whole thing would collapse under his weight.

"All right, Chelia, everyone tells me Wendy was getting anxious to be adopted. You're sure she didn't just take off?" he asked with an excruciating amount of gentleness. The last thing he wanted to do was offend the only possible witness he had that was willing to listen to him, but he had to ask her his questions.

The girl just shook her head, pink pigtails flopping on either sides of her head. They were tied back with bright orange ribbons, and Gajeel wondered if she and Wendy had made matching accessories. From the various pictures provided, it seemed that Wendy wore red ones.

Gajeel's chest twisted at the thought.

"She wouldn't have left without me," Chelia said in a quiet whisper. "Sure, neither of us were getting picked at adoptions, but she wouldn't have just run away without telling me. That's something we would have done together."

Gajeel took that to mean the topic might have come up once or twice. Still, he didn't press the thought. It was bad enough that there was one missing twelve year old, he didn't need to add another to the running case. Hopefully he could convince Chelia to stay right where she was for the time being.

"All right, so you and Wendy were close," Gajeel grunted. "Did you see anyone weird around the home a few days before she disappeared?"

Chelia looked thoughtful, but her expression cleared when she edged in closer to Gajeel. In a whisper, even softer than the last, she answered, "There was a man. He had scary eyes and messy hair."

"You saw him here?" Gajeel reiterated, to which the child nodded. "What was he doing?"

Chelia looked a little conflicted as she thought back to a couple of weeks ago. "He was just following during the last open house we had. I thought it was weird he wasn't talking to any of the kids. He was just walking around. And…watching."

"Watching who?"

"Wendy."

Hissing out a breath between closed teeth, Gajeel leaned back in his chair. There it was.

And then there was a crack as wood splintered, and there was no more resistance where his lower back had been resting. Gajeel barely had time to swear before he toppled over backwards, crashing onto the dusty ground.

"Fff- Flying cats!" he called out as he came back up, quite proud he had at least prevented another catastrophe. His dignity was long gone.

"You can say fuck, you know," Chelia dead-panned. "I'm not a child anymore."

Gajeel coughed loudly to hide the burst of laughter threatening to break free, rubbing dust flakes out of his thick hair. "You're not a kid all right, but ya sure are a brat."

Chelia giggled, and Gajeel found that making her laugh had been his greatest accomplishment of the day.

But he was back to his business face in a heartbeat, and the information he had obtained kept knocking at the very front of his mind. Shit. Lucy had been right.

He'd had a feeling she was, but now with the confirmation that something fishy was going on - it meant they'd found an actual lead to what most likely were the Ring's workings.

Gritting his teeth, he turned back to Chelia.

"This man," he said. "Ye're gonna have to tell me exactly what he looked like."

Chelia nodded, her expression far too tight and mature for a face so young. If the people behind Wendy's disappearance were who Gajeel thought they were, then they had already lost too much time.

No one ever bothered to ask the kids.

That was a mistake.

* * *

Natsu is finally introduced, what you've all been waiting for! And more insight into poor, poor Wendy...

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Next time! Chapter 3: Spar


	4. Spar

Wow, we passed the 100 review mark already! Thanks so much, you guys! We're so glad that you're enjoying ITR so far. Some of our very favorite chapters are coming up, right in the meat of the story, so be sure to stay tuned!

As always, any and all thoughts are appreciated! You're a big part of our process and we love hearing what you have to say.

All right, all right. Without further adieu... Back into the Ring we go...

* * *

 **rated:** _M for mature content_

 **summary:** _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER THREE

 **Spar**

 _boxing for practice_

* * *

Natsu was tense, and for good reason. His scarf hung loose around his neck, sliding off with a short tug on one tail. He clicked his tongue, catching Happy's attention as he folded it and tucked it underneath a bench. Obediently, the cat dropped his butt right on top of the bundled fabric as if it belonged to him, standing guard over Natsu's scarf.

Nervousness raced through him though, pulsing through his veins as he waited for his new student to arrive. Wendy was bound to be unhappy and scared, and Natsu really did not have the faintest idea on how to comfort her and train her at the same time. His eyes flashed over to where his own guards were watching him with a keen eye. Under their meaty arms they held electric batons and syringes filled with drugs that could knock an elephant out in under a minute.

How could he help her when he couldn't help himself?

Sure enough, when the doors to the gym opened and she was lead in, tears were already streaming down her face as she clutched something white and furry in her arms. She was lead in by Zancrow, his wild eyes dancing with mirth and dark humor at the little girl's suffering.

"Here ya go, Salamander, fresh from the basement! Isn't she an early bird?" Zancrow shoved Wendy forward, causing her to stumble against the tiles, struggling to right herself so she wouldn't drop whatever she had in her arms.

Taking a closer look, Natsu could see the tufted ears and furry tail.

His heart clenched at the sight.

Zeref had already gotten her a cat.

He'd already effectively sunk his claws into the girl, and judging from the look on her face, she understood that. Because she would undoubtedly care for the cat. And that very same cat would be used against her for years to come - a constant companion as well as a ball and chain.

It was a twisted way of keeping fighters in check. Twisted, but effective.

Zancrow watched with relish as Wendy hesitantly made her way to Natsu's side. "Have fun," he crooned, grinning, and then bounded off.

Zancrow left the gym with ease that would never be gifted to Natsu. Not unless he decided to usurp the Master.

And that would never happen.

Natsu softened the glower on his face before glancing down at the girl by his side. She was looking pointedly at the dingy ground, arms wrapped protectively around her white fluffball, and shaking like a leaf in the wind. And it wasn't because she was cold - the gym was far from chilly.

"What did you name it?" Natsu asked.

The soft-spoken question might as well have been a shout from the way the girl jumped. But, when she looked up at him, she managed to quell her shaking.

"Charlotte," Wendy murmured, stroking white fur. "Charle for short."

The small cat released an agreeable meow that somehow managed to sound prim and succinct.

Natsu snorted with amusement. "Fitting. You can put her by Happy if you want." He gestured to his own cat, dutifully guarding his ratty scarf.

Happy meowed and flicked his tail eagerly.

Wendy appeared taken aback by Natsu's civil behavior and calm tones. Like she was genuinely surprised that he'd bothered to establish rapport with her rather than tossing her into the ring and having fun right off the bat.

In all likelihood, that was what she'd been promised.

Wordlessly, Wendy took Charle to the bench and set her beside Happy. Who immediately began purring and wrapped his blue and white tail around the she-cat protectively.

Natsu scoffed.

It seemed as though Happy had taken a liking to the white cat.

"Well, Wendy, you can call me Salamander," Natsu introduced himself.

There wasn't much else he could do to put her at ease. Soon she would be assigned her own name depending on her style of fighting and would lose the identity she once had. The least he could do until then was call her by her real name.

"Hello," she said with a shy, watery smile, one that almost reached her eyes. Like she was finding a small kernel of kindness in a dark place.

Natsu didn't have the heart to dissuade her.

"So, I'm supposed to be teaching you the ropes." Natsu set his hands on his hips, flashing her a smile of his own that helped to clear some of the haze from her face. "What's your style?"

Wendy's eyes darted to the ground, and she shifted her feet nervously. "You probably don't know it…" she told him shyly. "My trainer said it's very rare. She didn't teach any other kids the same one. M-maybe you wanna teach me yours instead."

"Nonsense," Natsu reassured her with a smile, crouching down in front of her. "Your style is important to you, isn't it? I don't care if I don't know it, you can always teach _me_ too, okay?"

This, at last, made a genuine smile appear on her face. She wiped the tears off her cheeks, her eyes grateful as she nodded at him.

He nodded back, always a watchful eye on the guards. If they didn't start soon they'd _make_ them start. And he wouldn't let them touch Wendy, which meant… well, it'd be safer to train her now than to pick a fight and have her training assigned to someone else.

"Let's get started, then!" he called, jumping back up.

Getting into his fighting stance, he watched her do the same. She was a shy and timid girl, but he had a feeling she'd be a good student.

"Show me how you fight, then," he challenged. "And maybe I can guess your style!"

He raised his hands, his fingers loose and palms turned outward. Wendy seemed hesitant to strike out at him, but a worried glance over her shoulder at the nearby guards had her weakly flinging a fist out at his palm.

Natsu batted it away, blowing air out through his nose. It was clear she was intimidated. He had been too when he started, too busy thinking about how worried his dad probably was to concentrate on training.

Acnologia had pounded on him until he had no choice but to fight back. It was a less than acceptable method for Natsu to do for Wendy, but it did give him an idea.

Quickly, before Wendy could react, Natsu caught one of her long pigtails between his fingers and gave a light tug.

She yelped at the sudden tilting, her eyes wide on him.

"Gotcha." Natsu grinned at her, gesturing at her with his chin for her to get back into position. "If you keep your hair long, you've gotta remember to keep your guard up."

Wendy's mouth opened and shut a moment later, a flash of determination bursting in her eyes.

"R-right!"

This time when she came at him, her form was tighter. It seemed the gentle lesson broke through to her enough for her to steps she took were sliding but light, moving on the balls of her feet almost like a ballerina.

It was curious.

The steps were familiar, even if the way they were taken was different. Wendy moved with less finesse than other fighters, but there was no mistaking that footwork or art.

This time when she swung at Natsu, her aim was much truer. She did it with enough force that it made a loud smacking noise when it connected with Natsu's hand.

He recoiled a little, not because the attack from a twelve year old girl had injured him, but because of what she was performing.

Dragonslaying arts.

The revelation was a literal shock to his system. As far as he knew, there were only a very small handful of Masters of the style even alive at any given time. His father, Igneel, had been a master of the fire arts.

Now it made sense why Zeref would assign her training to him. The only other person suitable for the job was Acnologia.

They were the only two people in Tartaros who practiced the style.

Apart from Acnologia's training, Natsu had only ever fought other dragonslaying fighters in the Ring. They had come from Phantom, or Sabertooth. This was the first time he had someone practice the art in _his_ ring, as a fellow fighter. Acnologia had long left the role of a victim behind, much preferring to keep the Ring alive as Zeref's cruel right hand.

Now there was another dragonslaying fighter in Tartaros again.

Wendy was valuable.

Somehow Natsu wasn't sure if that was a kindness. At least not for Wendy. She would be sent into the ring more than other fighters, her training more intense - and if she didn't meet Zeref's expectations, there would be consequences.

Natsu's stance shifted with Wendy's as she whizzed past him. He tapped her right between the shoulderblades, twisting around her in sharp movements. His were more precise than hers, a focus to his footwork she hadn't mastered just yet.

But it was enough for her eyes to brighten with recognition, and she went completely still for a moment.

"Do you - " Wendy couldn't finish her question. He closed the space between them in a fast motion and she yelped when Natsu prodded at her forehead.

Natsu grinned as Wendy's cheeks swelled in a pout, her lips puffing together and her hands coming up to her forehead.

"I think I got a good measure of your skill now." Natsu's arms lifted to guard his center and face. He parted them just enough for Wendy to see his wide grin. "Why don't you take a couple good swings at me?"

"Are you sure?" Wendy asked him, although the hesitance she held earlier in her gaze looked more steadfast.

"Lay it on me."

\- : : -

Lucy slammed a flat hand onto the table, her eyes sparkling as she leaned so far over the surface that she almost bumped foreheads with Gajeel.

"I knew it!"

"This isn't exactly _good_ news, y'know," Gajeel grunted. "This Wendy girl would've been better off if she'd run away. If the Ring has her..."

Sobering up as quickly as she had flipped, Lucy nodded, her brows furrowing in worry.

"I'm convinced that one of the rings is behind all this," she repeated her mantra. "If we could just find out more about them, locate one of their hiding spots, infiltrate…"

Gajeel grunted again, dismissively.

The unnerving glint was back in Lucy's eyes. The one she always got when she fantasized about busting the Ring.

Hell, he was one of the first people in line who wanted the exact same thing!

But it was so much easier said than done. Even if they, through some semi-miracle, were able to track down just one location, they'd have a limited amount of time in highly surveilled surroundings to _somehow_ dig up even the smallest of clues…

Granted, it was not _impossible_ \- but it came very close.

The Ring never stood still. The fighting locations changed with every tournament, and only a selected few _inside_ their system knew where that was. And the fighters damn sure weren't included. None of them had ever known a damn thing about where they were dragged to - they'd made sure of that.

It made Gajeel furious.

He'd been held captive for years, and - only through outside help and an insane amount of luck - had accomplished the impossible: he'd gotten out.

And he hadn't been able to tell the police a single fucking useful thing.

They'd never found Phantom.

"Gajeel!" Lucy beckoned, and he snapped back to reality.

"I've done it before," she told him fiercely, knowing eyes digging into him. Damn right she had. He wouldn't be here today if she hadn't. "I will supply all monetary needs. Tell me the sum and I will pay. I can help you. Only people with money have a chance of getting one of the tickets to begin with."

They glared at each other for a moment.

"Even _if_ I could somehow obtain tickets," Gajeel started, ignoring the way hope brightened her face, "you're not doing anything."

She squinted at him. "Oh, come on! I basically work for the police at this point! And I don't even ask for a wage." She winked. "Besides - you _would_ need me. They'd see right through any of your undercover cops. You need someone who- who _exudes_ the proper behaviour and elegance. The _flair_ of being brought up rich. I'm your best bet."

Satisfied, Lucy blinked at a fuming Gajeel.

Even if the amount of narcissism in her words made him want to gag - she had a point.

It was exactly this narcissism that spoke in her favour. She'd never been able to completely shake it, and in the same way, it was near impossible to be learned. Her penchant for luxury, her love of attention and her knowledge of all the dos and don'ts high society brought with it were exactly what they'd need.

But the thought of Lucy endangering herself didn't sit right with Gajeel.

Then again - that had never stopped her.

"If," Gajeel started slowly, "and this's a very shaky if, I manage to get you one of those tickets you gotta swear you'll listen to me. I'm the one runnin' this rodeo. Capiche?" His eyes narrowed, but Lucy only flashed him a dimpled smile that made so many men swoon.

The girl was nothing but trouble and she used that to her advantage.

Lucy lifted two fingers to her forehead in a mock salute. "Aye-aye, captain!" she chirped.

"That means no griping about my methods. No goin' solo. And definitely no sassin' me," he grumbled to which she laughed.

"No promises on that." Lucy winked.

\- : : -

Gajeel couldn't believed he'd been weaseled into seeking out a ticket for the Ring.

In all his years of fantasizing about how he'd take down this organization he'd never once thought about sending a man undercover. Or, rather, Lucy undercover - of all people. She was a journalist, a damn good one, but sometimes she let her reporting instincts take control despite the situation.

This was dangerous. But...it was their best shot.

Blinking up at the cloudy sky, Gajeel inhaled slowly before pushing open the door to the old gym.

The place was well attended as usual, and he made directly for the counter.

He'd found this gem not long after he'd been reintroduced to society - a task that had proven rather hard. He'd struggled a lot, most of all with anger issues that just wouldn't leave him alone, and he'd just craved an _outlet_. And he'd found it.

The owner, an intimidating woman with an eye-patch, had told him that the place used to be more of a dojo during one of their training sessions. She'd kept part of it intact, but had renovated the rest into a gym that lacked nothing a fitness fan's heart desired.

It was her who awaited him now, a smile transforming her stern face into that of a gentle, kind woman. It was a trap. She was merciless.

"Erza," he greeted with a small nod and held out his hand.

Erza's pretty face melted into a saccharine smile that would have lulled most people into a false sense of security. But Gajeel knew what that smile really meant and he swallowed, feeling suddenly much too hot…

"Gajeel." She took his hand in a firm grip that didn't match her serene expression. And then she squeezed. "What do you need?"

Though she was only squeezing with half of her strength, he felt the small bones in his hand groaning. It wasn't exactly _painful_ , but it was definitely uncomfortable.

"What...makes you think I need something?" Gajeel managed to say after a small pause.

She wasn't letting go of his hand.

One brown eye narrowed in a hawkish glare before Erza snorted and released him finally. The sweet, innocent look was gone and replaced with another that Gajeel was much more familiar with - her pensive, knowing look. She propped a hand on the curve of her hip and surveyed him smoothly.

"Nowadays you only visit when you need something," she grumbled. Her eye flicked up to stare at him and the corner of her lip curved. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're _scared_ of me or something."

Gajeel held himself back from snarling _yeah, right!_ at the very last second. Instead, he huffed, crossing his scarred arms over a muscular chest. He'd never admit it. Never.

"Maybe I found a better trainer than you," he challenged defiantly, ready to flinch back if need be.

But Erza remained calm. "There's no better trainer than me," she dead-panned. "Not for you, anyways."

Well, he couldn't really object.

"You're right, though," he admitted, "I _do_ need something."

Erza clicked her tongue, observing him and his serious expression closely. Then she nodded.

"Come along," she instructed, and he rounded the counter to follow her into a small room where sheets of paper were stacked almost to the ceiling. The air was muggy.

Well, someone didn't like paperwork.

They both took a seat at the small table in the center, where a half-eaten lunch was getting cold. It reminded him that he should probably grab a bite to eat too.

"So," Erza prompted as she leaned back in her chair, "what can I do for you, Mr. Redfox?"

The use of his last name made him snort. "Are you still seeing that guy?" he asked.

"What guy?" Erza's shoulders stiffened and her face went carefully neutral.

 _That guy_ , Gajeel thought to himself, was a fugitive. Wanted for crimes committed many years before. And he'd been arrested and served part of his sentence...before mysteriously disappearing without a trace. The authorities - Gajeel included - had never been able to narrow down his whereabouts.

But...there were rumors that this guy had certain connections. One of them being the Ring.

And it just so happened that Erza was secretly - or, not so secretly - seeing this man. In the romantic sense.

Even though she obviously denied it.

Erza Scarlet protected her loved ones with a ferocity that Gajeel had never encountered before meeting her.

"You know exactly who I'm talkin' about. Jellal," he said when it was clear that she wasn't going to say anything else.

Erza looked awfully uncomfortable as she shifted in her seat, eyes narrowing. "Why are you asking?"

Gajeel weighed his options.

"I'm here on business," he finally told her. "But don't worry, Jellal doesn't have anything to do with it. Not directly, anyways."

She relaxed visibly, an eyebrow lifting in curiosity. "And yet, here you are."

"Yeah," he assented. "We, ya know, 'require his services as an informant'. He has nothing to fear, we ain't gonna charge him or anythin'. But he'd be a fat load of use to us."

"For someone on duty, you sure are lacking the proper vocabulary," Erza carefully criticised, and he felt like she was scolding him.

She'd have made a good cop. And a terrifying teacher.

"I'm kinda undercover for the moment, so it's fine either way," he retorted unfazedly, refusing to admit this was how he _always_ talked, off _and_ on the job, and he didn't damn well care. There were some things you just didn't say to Erza if you valued your continued existence.

Not that he had much to say in that regard. Erza was very familiar with his particular coarse way of speaking. She probably wasn't fooled by his bluff, but she had the grace to say nothing to the bold-faced lie.

"Hypothetically speaking," Erza intoned, her fingertips dragging across the worn surface of her desk. The papers wobbled on either sides of her but held strong on their shaky perch. "If I were seeing such a person...what would you require of them?"

Great. So they were going to play that game, were they?

Gajeel sagged a bit in his chair, dragging his hand through his hair and wondering what kind of extents he was willing to go to bring the Ring down. He really didn't have much on pride so he supposed it couldn't hurt him to play her game. If that was how he got this ticket, he'd follow her rules.

"Hypothetically speaking," Gajeel repeated, agreeing in his own words to what Erza was requesting. He paused, and said bluntly, "We would need a ticket to a certain underground fighting match. There's a rumor going around that a tournament will be popping up soon."

A flutter of paper fell from the top of the highest stack, floating down onto the floor, but Erza didn't even move.

Her fingers had curled under her palm, nails scratching a quiet path into the wood grain. Her single eye was hard, glaring at Gajeel in wordless anger.

"Why," her question was clipped, the single word shaking with the vibrations of her leashed fury.

There were no pretenses about her now, and she was rising from her chair, leaning over her desk with the promise to take a fistful of his hair and drag him to her eye level. She didn't, however, keeping her face a careful mask of calm.

"That's a terrible request to make - especially for someone like you." Her voice was low, quiet and dangerous.

Gajeel, as seasoned as he was, almost chilled down into his seat itself. But he knew this anger of hers wasn't directed at him. No, it was directed outward, at an enemy she couldn't fight. One not even Erza could destroy.

Gajeel didn't know if he should be annoyed or touched she was getting so upset in her own strange way. Especially not when it came to him.

"It's not for me," Gajeel decided for the cut and dry truth.

Nothing less would work on the likes of Erza. Despite being blind in one eye, she could see sharper than any person he knew. She would have been a runner for the Olympics long ago had she not suffered an injury which cost her part of her sight as a child. So now she worked at this gym, a place that had originally been opened for studying martial arts in a community setting.

Erza had a heart that could fill a building, and Gajeel knew just how to direct her anger.

"The Ring took a little girl," Gajeel crossed his arms, "and it's been almost two weeks since the file dropped onto my desk. I got a sketch from a witness that saw someone lurking around the girl, and it looks like someone I saw before in the Ring."

"How many times did you see this man?"

"Once."

"That's not a lot in the way of proof."

"Trust me. This guy's face is not one you'd forget," he insisted, leaning back in his chair. "But you're right. Which is why we need _actual_ proof. We need to go in there and find out as much as we can, about the whereabouts of Wendy, _and_ about that guy."

Erza took all this in, rubbing one hand over the other. Finally, slowly, she nodded.

"Wendy, huh…" she said, voice tinged with sadness that turned to anger on her face. She released a strained breath through her nose. "They've been stealing away kids for over a decade… I'll get you those tickets, Gajeel."

Her eyes could as well have been solid steel.

"Hypothetically, right?" he asked with a dark, victorious smirk.

"Hypothetically," she agreed.

* * *

A dangerous plan in set in motion...

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Next time! Chapter 4: Weigh In


	5. Weigh In

We're so glad to have everyone here and reading with us! This fic is a lot of fun for all three of us to write! Everyone is eager to have Natsu and Lucy meet. It's soon now. SO VERY VERY SOON!

 _ **Our updates are ONCE A WEEK.** _

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR

 **weigh in**

 _be officially weighed before or after a contest._

* * *

It was time. The first fight, the first weigh in.

Natsu had done this plenty of times before, and he would do it again. But there was something about that first night where he would step onto the scale and have his weight recorded that made his nerves thrum in excitement. The thrill made him both nauseous and fired up.

 _Soon._

That first night was something else. For a brief, blinding second he would forget where he was and what he was about to do. All he would see were the lights burning overhead, the haze of cigarette smoke and the twinge of champagne floating through the air. He could feel the tape around his wrists, patted down around his knuckles for security and strength.

For a moment he remembered smacking his father's hands, once, twice, three times for luck. His stomach flopped at the thought, his fingers brushing against the back of his hands.

It was almost time to go. They would get Natsu, tie up his hands and drop a moldy bag over his head. Then he would be driven to a mystery location, so secluded that their guests would be invite only. Natsu would spend the next week there, entertaining their guests with not just his fists.

He eyed Wendy, who was sticking so close to his side, she might as well have been glued to his hip. She was holding Charle in her arms, fluffy fur rather tousled from her constant clutching.

They hadn't known one another for longer than two weeks, but she had stuck to him the whole time. Natsu didn't want to leave her alone - who knew what would happen to her in just a week? But logically, he knew for the week he would be gone, Wendy's training would include watching the fights.

To get her used to what she would soon be doing.

He dropped his taped up hand on her head and flashed a grin at her. "Cheer for me, all right?"

This seemed to be the exact opposite of what Wendy needed to hear, and Natsu nearly recoiled at the sight of her eyes filling with tears.

 _Abort, Natsu._ _ **Abort!**_

"Is that really all I can do for you?" Wendy whispered, looking down at her feet. Already her toes and fingers were starting to get that grubbiness that only came from living in a cage.

She was only twelve.

Natsu's chest ached and he twisted around, kneeling in front of the girl.

"Nah, you can do something even better." Natsu flashed her another crooked grin.

He took a quick glance over his shoulder to see if the guards were coming for him yet. The last thing he wanted was for one of them to oversee this.

"It's a secret though, okay, Wendy?" Natsu's grin widened as her expression seemed to calm and harden with resolve. He lifted his hands in front of her face, propping his elbows up on a knee. "Give 'em a good smack. Three times."

His heart bled a little when Wendy's eyes lit up, no doubt recognizing the old tradition for what it was.

Her small hands connected with his large ones, slapping against his knuckles three times as directed. The strikes were feather light, and Natsu barely felt them. He wondered if that was how his father had felt when Natsu did the same as a child.

"For luck," Wendy whispered over his taped hands, like she was telling them a secret.

And perhaps they were - sharing something to give them both comfort when Natsu faced the upcoming threat.

"Nothing can beat me now." Natsu strangely felt the words in his gut. Like Wendy's small gesture had given them life. He smacked a fist into his open hand. "I'm all fired up!"

The young girl's face brightened - and then he watched it slowly fall, staring somewhere behind him. He soon knew the reason why as he turned to follow the direction of her gaze.

Two of the muscle men were heading for them, their tight faces void of any emotion (or intellect, he thought with a weird sense of satisfaction). It was time.

Shooting Wendy a last reassuring smile, he ruffled her hair and got back up.

He offered no resistance when the men grabbed one of his arms each, just tightened his body and gave a good glare to the blond one who always got a kick out of treating them like dirt. Resisting would have been of no use, and frankly, Natsu had lived through the process long enough to not only know this from experience, but to crave the fights that awaited him like a well-trained dog.

Besides, if he had resisted, they would have dragged him out. That wasn't something he wanted Wendy to see. Natsu may not have had much, but he still had his pride. They had never taken that away from him.

One breath later, a black bag was thrown over his head and tightened around his neck. A gentle nudge against his leg told him Happy was with him, a comfort even as Natsu struggled to breathe around the rancid fabric covering his nose and mouth. It smelled strongly of fish, as did everything outside of the walls he lived in. Even through the bag he could pick up the faint scent of salt in the air. Birds cried nearby and moisture clung to his skin.

He was lead outside by the two men, where he was shoved into the back of a van. His knee caught the lip of the car, drawing a hiss of pain from him and a smack from nearby.

"Careful with the merchandise, dumbass. He's fighting tomorrow night, and if you blow out his ACL or something Zeref will throw both of us into the ring instead!"

"Relax, Salamander's fine! Right?" Natsu felt a hard smack to his shoulder, causing him to grunt in acknowledgment. "See?"

"Whatever, don't forget the cat."

Natsu stiffened when he heard Happy let out an offended cry and the sudden sensation of startled claws sinking into his stomach followed not long after.

"Watch it," Natsu snapped at them. "He's a cat, not a stuffed animal."

For his anger, he got a snort of amusement and a rough hand on the back of his neck. Natsu twisted when his center of gravity shifted and he was forced down onto his face. The bag scraped against his nose and his stomach rolled in revulsion. But he couldn't do anything as he felt a sharp pinch in the meat of his shoulder.

A needle plunged down, the syringe emptying into his bloodstream. Natsu was shoved onto his side and belted down.

"Night-night, Salamander. We've got a long drive."

The last thing Natsu remembered was the worried mewling of Happy near his head, and his gentle pawing at the bag.

* * *

"You know, he may not even be there," Gajeel said so low, his red eyes flashing up towards Lucy.

Erza had come through for him. A single ticket awaited him on his desk, tucked in a plain white envelope. Next day delivery, he had to commend Jellal on being quick.

"You're banking on a lot with how many fighters go through the rotations. You could go to this fight and never even see the Salamander."

Lucy balled her hand into a tight fist to quell the trembles shaking through her arm. She looked at Gajeel, his expression calm, but he couldn't hide the tightness around his eyes. The unsteady way he breathed or how he kept adjusting the holster at his side - Gajeel was afraid.

It was such a strange expression to see on his face from a man so renown for his intimidating stature, but it was to be expected. This was like a living nightmare for him, coming anywhere near the Ring. Which was why he would be waiting in the van with Levy anyway. It wasn't like he could blend into their surroundings.

"I don't care, this isn't just about him," she whispered.

Lucy felt Gajeel's hands tweak the earpiece hidden in one of her earrings. It was pretty, dangling down and catching the light like a yellow diamond. They may have been cut from cheap crystal, but they were no doubt one of the finer things Lucy wore out in public.

Not that she had a shortage of expensive jewelry, but she didn't dare wear them to an underground fighting ring.

"I ain't sure if you're brave or stupid, Bunny girl," Gajeel said with rough laugh. It was hollow around the edges, but he managed to keep his hands calm as he checked her sound gear for the hundredth time. "Last chance to back out."

"You wish," Lucy said with a small smile.

"Damn, but I really do," Gajeel heaved a sigh.

"Don't worry, Gajeel." Levy looked up from the control panel she was seated at. Tons of blinking consoles and lights illuminated her face, casting a shadow over her smile. "Lucy will be fine. And she has both of us to watch her back!"

"And we'll both be in the _van,"_ Gajeel argued back but swiftly threw his hands in the air. "I ain't gonna argue this shit anymore. It's bad enough we're even doing this - you two are civilians and I used police contacts to get you a damned ticket!"

"Oh hush, don't pretend like this isn't a police sanctioned sting." Lucy tapped a finger across her lips to test if her lipstick would come off on her teeth. "I don't see them nearby, but I know you have this place covered."

Gajeel grunted, dismayed over how easily Lucy had seen through his ruse. She fussed with her hair a little longer before turning to Levy with hope.

"How do I look?" Lucy questioned, bending forward to strike a glamorous pose.

Gajeel couldn't help his snort. "Stupid when ya do that."

"Gajeel! Don't be so rude!" Levy scolded, letting go of her headphones with one hand long enough to take a swipe at the man. She gave Lucy a gracious smile. "You look very beautiful and _very_ rich. Cancer did a good job." Her expression turned apologetic a second later. "But...uh, yeah, Gajeel might be right? Try not to do that when you're inside."

Lucy's cheeks turned red and she gave both of her friends an irritated glare. Everyone was a critic.

She lifted her chin, acting more with the regal air she was raised with than one which a cop could only try to imitate. It was the sole reason she thought Gajeel had even been able to sell this to his Captain.

"All right then," she smiled, her cheeks still a little rosy, "It's showtime."

* * *

Natsu's head still hurt.

He had awoken in a haze, shoved onto the thin mattress in the corner of what he knew was his assigned changing and preparation room this time around. It had been empty except for very sparse furnishing (the mattress, a mirror, small table, chair, and a sink), the door locked.

An old-looking pitcher of water stood by the nightstand to help him flush what was left of the toxins from his body. He didn't bother with the glass, instead grabbing it by the handle and lifting the entire thing to his mouth.

He was careful not to drink too fast, the last thing he wanted was to cramp in the middle of his match. Natsu made a face as he drank. It tasted like metal, but it was clean and cold. Fresh from the pipe from the looks of it.

After the fight he wouldn't return to this place. At least not immediately. No, instead he would be escorted into the wing where the rich gathered. There he would be hosed down and scrubbed clean so he could further entertain their guests.

Zeref had a reputation to maintain after all, and he wasn't about to make their rich guests sit in squalor. Not when they were paying him top dollar for some of Natsu's "hands-on" time.

A rough knock on the door let him know it was time to go. He knew the drill by now, had memorized it just as much as he knew how to put on a show.

He was instructed to stay away from the door, the knob buzzing with the electric current of a taser to dissuade him in case he got any sly ideas about escaping. Not that it mattered, he had tried them all.

The one serving as his caretaker studied his hands to make sure the bandages were done properly. He was told to flex his fingers into a fist, and it was only through great lengths of hard fought patience that Natsu stopped himself from smashing it into their face.

His hands were tied together with a thick rope and then hooked to a wall. Natsu was searched for weapons before he had to endure having his clothes changed for him. Just the bandages and his fighting colors would be permitted into the ring.

At least it was a cool color this time. Red.

That made enduring the embarrassment of being searched a little more palatable. A _little._

Then finally, _finally_ he was lead out into the hallway by his tied hands like the leash on a dog.

Now, with the low rumble of conversation, applause and shouts drifting into the narrow corridor he stood in, and the muffy scent of mold and sweat, he could not afford to be held back by a little headache.

His pulse spiked, the promise of his nearing match sending a rush of adrenaline through his already tense body.

Natsu had enough clarity to know he was seconds away from being turned loose like a wild animal. His breathing slowed but his heart raced. His mind was racing with both fear and excitement.

Each step brought the crowd closer, the roaring of noise and laughter that reverberated over the walls and down the hallway where he was standing. He couldn't lie, after the day he had - he wanted badly to hit _something._

So he didn't resist when he was pushed past a wrought iron door and into a poorly lit pit that barely passed as an arena. Broken tile bit into Natsu's taped feet. The tile was slippery, with still pools of water full of tadpoles trapped in the slopes.

An old Olympic style pool.

Natsu let out a violent swear, one that was magnified when the rope lashed free from his arms and through the slot cut into the metal door. Rubbing the tender skin, he crinkled his nose to take in his surroundings.

There were people lined up along the sides, all of them dressed in beautiful gowns or fancy suits. A delicate looking fence sectioned them off from the arena to prevent them from falling into the pool. They were all beautiful and rich, smug in the safety their positions allowed them.

Their area was clean, and it probably even smelled nice.

The crowd let loose an excited cry, alerting him to the presence of the other fighter. Natsu's eyes narrowed at the sight of his opponent. A middleweight from Sabertooth. Blond hair and a scar through his right eyebrow. Natsu knew the man only through reputation. He was one of the twin dragons, his brother nowhere to be seen.

The fighters took a moment to size one another up. After all it wasn't often they ran into another practitioner of the same style. The last time Natsu had run into one in the ring had been five years ago…

But the bell rang, cutting all thoughts short. They both let out twin snarls before lunging at one another.

* * *

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	6. Toe-to-Toe

_**WE UPDATE ONCE A WEEK**_

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE

 **Toe-to-Toe**  
 _when both fighters stand in front of each other and engage_

Lucy felt sick to her stomach.

She wasn't sure if she could sit through another of these fights.

She'd spent the last twenty minutes watching a young boy slam his opponent into a wall, ignoring the other's eventual pleas for mercy until he passed out, left in a puddle of mud water and his own blood. This wasn't a sport. This was slaughter.

Levy's voice crackled in her ear occasionally, but she couldn't afford to respond. Not here, perched between fur coats and cocktail glasses. Some watched the arena with greedy eyes, while others barely even glanced at the fighters tearing each other apart, favouring low conversation with their neighbours. Lucy wasn't sure which ones she despised more.

Forcing herself to turn her attention back to the ring below, Lucy saw a new fighter had been shoved into the pool. This one was older, a lot more broad and mature, with blond hair and a cocky expression. Her eyes moved to the other door as it creaked - and then her heart stopped.

It was him.

It had to be him. He was nothing like the boy she remembered - but the pink hair was a dead giveaway if she ever had seen one. Even from a distance, it stood out brightly against its surroundings. It was tied into a ponytail, loose strands falling into his forehead.

His eyes were filled with murderous intent, not the kindness she remembered.

But he was the boy from back then, if all grown-up. Salamander, they had called him.

She had finally found him.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she leaned forward to get a closer look.

But then the bell chimed, signaling the start of the match, and she watched in shock as the two men launched at each other with vicious snarls. More animal than man.

Her hands curling into fists, she followed the events tensely. _Please win_. The thought flashed through her mind, and she found herself disgusted for being pulled in and wishing loss upon one of them, no matter which. She had seen what happened to the losers in the ring, and she could only imagine what happened to them afterwards.

Images kept popping up before her mind's eye, of battered and bruised bodies in cages, of bulky men laughing as they carried out punishment, of shouting and screaming children - and worse, the motionless, barely living that were transported off without a word.

She shivered involuntarily at the unwelcome memories.

And yet, she did want her old friend to win, no matter how much she judged herself for it. Winning was the only option.

The blond fighter (one of the twin dragons, they had called him) dragged a well-placed foot deep into Salamander's stomach, sending him flying against the wall. His foot caught on a jagged tile which ripped a gash into his right calf as he fell. Blood dripped onto the tiles, and he struggled to get up as his opponent advanced.

He was dazed, getting slammed back into the tile having disoriented him. His head lifted, and in one startling moment his eyes found hers.

It could have been for just a second, but that time seemed to stretch out. It was a tangible moment, pulled taut like a cord. And for a single moment Lucy thought she saw recognition flash in his eyes.

But his enemy was advancing, and their eyes lost contact as hers widened in fear.

Time had not held still for long, and his opponent closed the space between himself and Salamander with ease. His fist snapped out, staggering Salamander a few steps back into the slick slope of the pool.

His head shook, a bandaged hand lifting to rub at his jaw.

The audience roared different jeers and shouts. Lucy held her breath.

She only had eyes on what Salamander would do next. If he would crumple on unsteady legs, or push forward.

Everyone in the audience held their breath, when a sudden, cocky smirk sliced over his face. With a roar, he threw his entire body into an attack that pulled the other to the ground as well, both of them rolling through rubble as limbs tangled and fists flew.

Salamander came out on top, holding the blond one's face down, pushing it into a puddle until he struggled for air, then letting him come up only to slam him right back down onto the tiles. Lucy thought he could have defeated him right then and there, could have all but drowned him and left him to die - but he didn't.

He jumped back onto his feet, beckoning for the other to follow with a fierce grin on his face.

Maybe he wanted to play some more - but Lucy thought he was being _fair_.

It was not something she had seen in any of the other fights.

Their corded bodies moved like tightly wound springs, jumping, ducking and dealing out blows and punches with the cries of the crowd spurring them on. It was unlike anything Lucy had seen before.

This fight was on another level; even Lucy, who did not know the first thing about martial arts, knew this as she watched the two men fight.

From the sounds of it, she was not the only one who thought so. The audience's eyes were exclusively on the fighters, and Lucy overheard more than one person saying what she could not have known: that even for regular spectators of the ring, this was not ordinary.

It was a close call; they were seemingly equals for a long time. But slowly, Salamander was gaining the upper hand.

A sick sense of pride washed over Lucy, and she bit down harshly on her lip as if to punish herself.

They were both covered in blood and sweat, panting heavily, but neither stopped for even a second. To Lucy, it was a mystery how they were still standing upright.

But Salamander was relentless in his attacks, and the next time blondie came for him, a grin flashed across his face before he stopped him dead in his tracks, simply grabbing the fist that had come down in a forceful attack and twisting his wrist in a way that made the man drop to his knees in front of him.

He did not get a break; he received a knee to his face next, and then they were both on the ground again, where it took two more direct hits to the face for the blond to cough up a gush of blood. The brute force of Salamander's hits slammed the other's head into the tiles again and again, until he passed out at last, and the bell rang anew.

Lucy ducked out the moment the fight came to an end.

His opponent had to be dragged out by his brother and another beefy looking man. Apparently there were no knock downs or breaks for the fighters. They pummeled one another until the other couldn't move anymore. A literal knock out was the only way to finish the match.

It had been a vicious fight, and as soon as it was over she could see someone stepping into the ring to hose down the blood left behind on the broken tiles. Now Lucy was grateful she had missed most of the lightweight matches thanks to Gajeel's mothering.

She couldn't watch a minute more of this.

While the next middleweight match up began, Lucy separated from the crowd to do a little investigating. This was her chance to try and find out what really went on behind their closed doors.

She strutted around as if she owned the place, keeping her chin up and voice low. "Levy, do you see any place that looks suspicious?"

There was a crackle in the speaker in her ear and Lucy couldn't smother her sigh of relief when Levy's voice answered. She was almost afraid there would be too much interference. They had lost their connection once while the fight had gone on.

" _Yeah, I have the layout of the building in front of us - Lu, was that fighter who I think it was?"_

Lucy's heart jumped with excitement at the reminder and she nodded even though Levy couldn't see it. "It's him, Levy. I'm positive. I have to find him."

" _Gajeel won't be happy with you being alone with a highly trained fighter,"_ Levy cautioned, and it was clear by her tone she agreed with the grumpy detective on that front. " _Don't forget why we're here."_

"Right. Wendy, of course. I know - just," Lucy sighed.

Levy was right; Lucy knew she was. Even if there was some way she could see Salamander again, she didn't even know if he'd be the same person he was when he helped her. Gajeel warned her how the Ring changed even the most steadfast souls.

"Okay," Lucy relented. "Tell me where I need to go."

" _Second door to the left. There's a staircase that goes all the way to the bottom of a corridor. It looks like it's empty right now, so if you're going, it should be now."_

Lucy made a noise of acknowledgment and toed off her heels. She gathered them by the straps in the back, dangling them with her finger. Glancing around to make sure she was clear, she lifted the hem of her dress and lightly stepped over the velvet rope divider.

Quickly, and as quietly as she could, Lucy crept down the stairs. She took them two at a time, damp stone and brick a sharp contrast to the clean viewing grounds.

This place was filled with illusions. It was only pretty on the surface, a nice exterior for the paying guests.

These were the terrible conditions the fighters had to endure day in and day out. It was all laid out in front of her, and she flashed back to shivering inside that cage with nothing but a blue kitten and a thin blanket shared between two children.

Anger pulsed in Lucy's ears, reminding her of every reason she ever had to tear this whole organization to the ground. She may not be able to get rid of all the evil in the world, but _this_ evil she could eliminate. She had worked her whole life towards that single-minded goal.

Fire in her heart, she edged down the narrow corridor. Occasionally she stopped to peek into a room but quickly moved on when there was nothing of value. Not even a scrap of paper that hinted at Wendy's location.

She was beginning to get frustrated with her lack of results when the buzz in her ear crackled to life.

" _Lucy, you've got some guards making a pass through the corridor! You need to find some place to hide,"_ Levy's voice was hurried and panicked. " _Find a room! I won't have eyes on you because there aren't any cameras in the rooms, but you can duck in one until it's clear."_

Heart leaping to her throat, Lucy picked a room at random, turning the rusted knob and throwing herself in. She snapped the door shut, the hem of her dress barely whipping around the door jam to avoid getting caught.

She held very still, her heart hammering in her throat as she listened to the sounds of feet passing by. When they faded away, Lucy let herself relax, forehead resting on the door.

"Phew," Lucy sighed.

She almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her.

Spinning on her bare feet, her heels swinging in her hand, Lucy found herself face to face with Salamander. The very man she had spent fifteen years looking for.

It was a moment she had been fantasizing over for years. What she would say to him when they finally met again, how she would thank him for giving her a chance at a normal life. How she was going to do the same and rescue him from this stink pit. She had written paragraphs in her head, each one more detailed and graphic than the last. It was admittedly a romanticized version of events, where he would be happy and they would leave together, perhaps even becoming friends like she and Gajeel had.

But now, as she stood there, barefoot in this dank little room, she looked into his cold eyes and saw not an ounce of recognition. Every word she had conjured died on her lips before she could say anything, and she couldn't help but remember just a short time earlier she watched him slam another man's face into the tiled floor.

None of that mattered, because there he was. He was a head taller than her, broad shouldered and well muscled. He hadn't yet slipped on the red robe that marked his corner color, but the pants he wore drew her eyes downward. Her mouth dropped open a little at the sight of all that tightly corded muscle flexing under tan skin. Behind him on a bed slept a blue cat curled in a dingy, white scarf.

Her proof.

They both existed. Salamander was a little bruised and bloody, but in one physical piece. That spoke nothing of his mental state, but that wasn't for her to determine anyway. She couldn't help but smile at him.

At that, his hard expression seemed to clear, falling somewhere between business and the vaguest of interest.

"You're the one who bought my time? Not many people want the after-fight experience, but the Master has made an exception once or twice before." Salamander's taped hands dropped to his hips, Lucy's eyes following the motion. He had a large scar on his left side, and it moved when he breathed.

Lucy had to force herself not to stare.

"I haven't even had a chance to take a shower yet, that okay?" he asked, eyes raking over her form appraisingly.

"W-what," Lucy stuttered, taken aback. What was he talking about? She hadn't bought anyone's time. Pulling herself together, she decided to play along for now, keeping her true identity under wraps. "Why would I want you to shower?"

Apart from the obvious, of course. He smelled of blood and sweat, and he _looked_ like he needed a shower. But this was not for her to decide; after all, she had barged in on him uninvited.

He licked his lips, gaze darkening as he stepped closer. "I see."

What did he see? Lucy was getting more confused by the second.

His suddenly so close proximity didn't help either. It was like a flip had switched: his hostility, while not entirely gone, was backspaced in favour of… something else.

Something that made her heart pound and her head spin.

It was only when his hands reached lower to tug into the waistband of his tattered fighting shorts - and he pulled them off in one swift motion - that it dawned on her. What it meant to _buy his time_.

Oh.

Yelping, Lucy spun around.

"What now," came his unimpressed voice. "This is what you paid for, isn't it?"

Lucy felt the air move behind her, and suddenly she felt the heat from his body invading her personal space. She swallowed hard at the feel of his breath against the back of her neck.

Her entire body froze on the spot when he suddenly pressed against her, leaving no inch between his hot skin and her backside. Her cheeks flushed the deepest shade of red yet, and she released a shuddering breath.

She had to move. Damn her stupid body, and its refusal to follow her mind's commands. When the first shock finally subsided, she gripped his hands, which rested on her hips now, and spun around with an indignant look on her face.

She pointedly avoided any gaze downwards.

"Wait, I think there has been some sort of misunderstanding," she said hastily when she looked up into his eyes. "I didn't buy your time."

He looked confused, but his arms slowly dropped down at his sides. Lucy was almost insulted that they did, but remembered it wasn't personal. He thought it was just business. While she was on a mission to try and find clues to the hidden children. Nothing she could actually tell him.

"Then why're you here?" Salamander's expression was bordering on the unfriendly, but Lucy was too busy noticing he had not picked up his shorts yet. And he hadn't moved from her personal bubble.

"Get dressed, or I won't answer any questions!" she commanded in a high-pitched tone, crossing her arms and pouting at the nearest wall.

To her surprise, she heard him huff out a laugh.

It was a sound she had not expected, and she curiously peeked at him. He was indeed obeying her, pulling his pants back up where they belonged.

When he noticed her staring, for the first time in years, she saw him grin. Sure, it was a little cocky and condescending, but it transformed his whole face, and suddenly she could see the traces of the boy he had been still alive on his face.

"Happy now?" he asked with a snort.

"Yes, thank you." Lucy's hands covered her flaming cheeks as she avoided his gaze for a few painful moments. Once she was sure she could look at him with any sort of dignity, she turned her head to him.

He was tugging the bandages off his wrists with impatience. No doubt they had started to itch thanks to the sweat congealing underneath them. One end of the tape was caught between his teeth as he untangled it.

"So what're you doin' so far down here?" he grunted around the bandages he struggled with. "A princess like you shouldn't be hanging in the dungeon with a dragon."

Lucy had a feeling that 'princess' was not a compliment.

But she swallowed down her sharp reply, instead desperately trying to come up with an excuse for her being here. Her mind did not usually leave her hanging, but right now it was struggling. He was eyeing her, sceptical and expectant.

"I, uh… I was looking for the toilets?" It sounded lame even to her own ears.

One of the bandages finally ripped and gave way a little, and Salamander spat a piece of sturdy fiber to the ground. His eyes were fixed on her, cold and unblinking, and he didn't have to tell her that he hadn't bought her lame excuse for her to know it.

Seconds ticked by, and neither spoke.

"The toilets are upstairs," he let her know dryly, but pressed on no further.

"Oh." Lucy shifted uncomfortably. She knew it was a moment she could have used to awkwardly excuse herself, but something in her refused to leave just yet. Not when she had finally found him, standing so close, so obviously numbed and bitter by years of torture. "So, do you - do you need help with that?"

She pointed at the bandages he was having trouble with, and his brows rose.

He stared at her again, clearly not sure why she was sticking around. "Usually we have someone come in to help untie these damn things."

The way he was squinting at her made it seem like he thought she was hiding someone under her gown. Lucy smothered a laugh at the thought and stepped towards him when he silently extended a hand.

"If you're not leaving, you might as well make yourself useful." Salamander shrugged.

Carefully, Lucy took one of his hands in hers, her heart racing for a reason she couldn't bring to voice. It was just a hand, and it was just a bandage she was peeling off. But she couldn't help but treat it like she was holding something made from fine-spun porcelain. Logically she knew he was anything but fragile. His skin was rough from fighting, but his palm was strong and steady. It was much larger than her own.

Her touch was feather light at first, and he gave her a curious look.

"It's not gonna come off like this, ya know," he said, but there was something to his voice that hadn't been there before.

Nodding, she gripped his hand more tightly, using her other to glide along the material, searching for a spot that would give her an opening. She made sure to be as gentle as possible while applying pressure, aware of the pain he must be feeling. His forearms were all scratched, black and blue marks starting to form on his skin, and she could only hope that the skin beneath his tape had taken less damage.

She worked in silence, and slowly felt him relax beside her.

As she peeled the tape off his right hand, rolling it off until she reached the lower, less bloody layers, her own breathing calmed as well, her heartbeat slowing and cheeks returning to a normal colour. Their contact was intimate, but not in a way that made her feel embarrassed.

She felt his eyes on her the whole time.

When the tape had come off all the way, he cleared his throat.

Lucy bunched up the dirty and worn fabric, throwing it into a bucket that she guessed served as a bin, before she made herself look at him.

"Thanks." He flexed his freed hand to get circulation running back through his fingers.

Lucy couldn't even imagine what is was like to wear them for fights.

So he did have some manners, she thought before taking his other hand and giving it the same treatment. The tape had done a pretty good job in protecting his hands, even if the area around it was beginning to darken with bruising.

"So what's your name?" Lucy dared to ask when she removed the last bits of bandages from his left hand.

He let out a dry snort at her question and brought his hands together once they were both finished. There were small nicks over his fingertips but probably nothing that wouldn't heal quickly.

"Salamander," he responded automatically. He flashed her an amused smirk, as if her question was funny in some way.

"No, I mean… your real name," she dug deeper, blinking innocently. That look usually got her far, especially with those who were weak to her womanly ways.

However, it did not have the desired effect on Salamander.

The grin dropped off his face, eyes clouding over with cautiousness.

"Why do you wanna know?" he grunted. "Not like it matters."

"What if it matters to me?" Feeling bold, Lucy looked him straight in the eye. "I've seen you naked, don't you think courtesy demands we exchange names?"

"Huh." He pulled a face, shooting her a humourless smile. "A lotta people have seen me naked, and no one ever asked for my name."

Lucy bit her lip, regretting her words already. Of course he wouldn't give away his name to any random fling or pretty face. And that was exactly what she was to him.

It was in this moment she remembered a similar conversation from years ago. She'd asked him for his name then, too.

 _It's better if you don't know._

It made sense to her, if she thought about it. Names held power, and could endanger both its owner and the ones who knew about it.

" _Lu, I hate to break up whatever reunion you're having in there, but you have company heading towards the room you ducked into,"_ Levy's voice cracked back to life in Lucy's ear, startling her.

She had almost forgotten Levy was still listening in on the conversation even though she was no longer watching.

Before she could say anything though, Salamander was looking at the door. "Someone's coming."

Lucy had no idea how he was able to hear such faint noises. She only knew because of Levy's eyes on the outside. She figured it was a dragonslayer thing, since Gajeel was the same way. Both seemed highly tuned to their hearing and smell. It made hiding donuts from Gajeel impossible.

"The door locks once it closes." Salamander's hand wrapped around her wrist and he tugged her under the sink. He snagged the sheet off his bed and wiped his face with it, tossing the rest over the pipes to hide her from view, "You've got to catch it before it closes or you'll be stuck in here."

"O-okay," Lucy agreed in a slight panic, trying a weak smile that failed miserably when the doorknob clicked. She flinched, and Salamander nodded curtly before turning away.

Just in time, because in the next moment the door opened, and Lucy held her breath.

"Ready for some fun times, Salamander?" a gruff voice asked, and another laughed not far behind. "Ya already got a booking, ya lucky bastard."

The man everyone called Salamander didn't say anything. Lucy grit her teeth. _They_ were the bastards, and they wouldn't be lucky once she was done with them.

Oh, if she could only help him. Him, and all the others. She had to.

There was nothing she could do for now, but she vowed to herself that she would not lose the track they had finally found, after so many years. She _would_ bring an end to this.

Sounds drifted to her, not all of them identifiable to her. But she assumed they were tying up his hands before leading him off. The door had fallen to a close earlier, but now she heard it open again, and every muscle in her body tensed as she prepared to react as fast as she could.

The steps of the men leaving made the breath hitch in her throat. She swallowed tightly around her tongue, waiting for the door to creak shut behind them.

Daring a glance between the folds of fabric from Salamander's bed, she caught sight of him being led out of the room, his blue cat remaining steadfast at his heels.

The door was heavy and metal, and as it swung shut, it did so too quickly for Lucy in her clumsy dress to catch. Her breath caught and fear froze in her ribs, when there was a surprised grunt from the other side of the door.

She watched a bandaged heel catch the very corner of it, making the metal bounce back from a tan calf.

"What's the hold-up, Salamander?"

"It's nothin'."

Lucy felt a surge of gratitude as she was able to catch the doorknob at the last moment. She chanced a peek out the door, her eyes falling on Salamander's back. He didn't turn around, but something in his shoulders seemed to loosen.

"Thank you," she whispered, hoping he heard.

Her heart kept hammering long after they had left her field of vision. She listened closely, but didn't hear anything.

"Levy," she whispered, "is the way up clear?"

" _Yes_ ," came the crackling answer, and Lucy tiptoed out on bare feet before Levy could give her the order.

She scurried up the stairs, panting as she leaned against a wall when she had made it to the top.

" _Breathe, Lucy,"_ Levy told her _, "you made it."_

Smiling in relief, Lucy nodded, crouching down to put her heels back on. She had no mirror to check her appearance, so she had to trust her hands as she fixed her hair and swiped a finger along her lips.

She did not want to go back in there. But she had to, one last time.

For one, she had to sniff around for any information about the ring's schedule she could find, and for another - she had some time to buy.

It was a tweak in their plan, and neither Levy nor Gajeel would like it… but she couldn't help it.

She had to see him again.

And so she strode back into the show hall, accepting a new glass of champagne from a waiter, on the lookout for any of the supervisors and guards.

"Excuse me," she said to a tall, ugly man that stood at the banister, overlooking the now empty pool. She lowered her voice, conspiratorially batting her lashes up at him. "I heard… it's possible to… spend some _time_ with the gentlemen of the ring?"

The man gave one sweeping glance at her (hovering too long on the swells of her breasts), before leaning down slightly. "Miss, yer gonna have to be a bidder like everybody else."

"Oh, I see," Lucy said with a sweet smile, sipping on her champagne. "Would you be so kind as to inform me where this… auction is held?"

The man pointed a fleshy finger towards a podium in the corner of the room, where a small group of people had already gathered. "'Bout half an hour," he informed her.

Lucy turned, overwhelmed by the sudden urge to scrub off her tongue.

" _Lucy, what are you doing?_ " Levy's voice was calm, but she could hear Gajeel swearing in the background. " _Shouldn't you be getting out of there? This was good enough for a first try._ _We have the whole week_ _left_."

Concealed by a group of people, Lucy felt it was safe to answer aloud. She kept her tone to a chatty singsong, smiling at a man a bit further away as she spoke. "I'm just making sure I get a ticket for next time, okay? I'm not gonna leave without finding out what this gem of a man has to offer. See you in a bit."

The short man across from her apparently felt himself to be the chosen recipient of her coy expression, advancing on her with a wide, unpleasant smile. His gold watch reflected the light as he stepped closer.

Before he could even open his mouth, Lucy ditched him without another glance at his slimy self.

Mingling with the growing crowd in front of the podium (she was one of the last to still be able to grab a seat), she could do nothing but wait. Not all were actual bidders, the majority just here for entertainment, and probably to badmouth whoever was a topic of gossip in their high society. Rich people rarely were known for their discretion, and more so for their penchant for sensationalism.

Downing the rest of her champagne to calm her nerves, Lucy clutched the number in her hand.

Apparently there had been a bidding at the very start of the event for today's "offers", but for the rest of the week the biddings would be held one day in advance. Meaning, Lucy would try to win Salamander's time and services for tomorrow, probably for a considerable amount of money.

He'd been the star of today's show.

Which was to be expected. Salamander had taken the stage and owned it like a performer would. He had the presence and swagger not many of the other fighters had. She heard other people whisper about it as they gossiped amongst themselves in the bidding hall.

He had passion. A thriving spirit for the sport, not broken in the way the other fighters were. Each challenger he faced was met with equal enthusiasm. A regular blood knight in a hall of squires.

Lucy was unsure how she felt about that, but the idea alone gave her hope in what she was about to do.

When the lights dimmed in the hall, a video reel of the earlier fights played out. They showcased the fighters and purposely left out the ones too injured for their time to be bought.

Paddles went up and down, but she got the impression they were waiting for _his_ fight to show on the screen. Lot number 7.

But she wouldn't let them have it.

* * *

Mslead has drawn a comic to illustrate their meeting! It's on her tumblr page.

Special thanks to everyone who reviewed!

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	7. Purse

_**WE LOVE YOU GUYS! Snogfairy is busy traveling the world but she still brought an update to you guys on tumblr! We'll see you guys again next week!**_

* * *

CHAPTER SIX

 **Purse**  
 _the money a fighter earns for a given fight_

* * *

Natsu huffed out a breath, his heartbeat slowing as he came down from the high that came from servicing a client. He was laying down on his back, silk sheets smooth and cool under his hot skin.

The woman he was with was in her mid to late forties, perhaps a housewife that had too much time and money. Someone who wanted a little more passion and excitement stirred into her life.

Natsu didn't know her name. It wasn't necessary for her to tell him what she wanted and for him to give it to her. The only personal detail he knew about her was that she was clean. Zeref was very strict about keeping his fighters disease free, which Natsu supposed he should have been grateful for.

Other than that, Natsu only knew what she craved. Like many others before her, she wanted the same thing.

Ferocity. Domination. And he gave them that. Natsu was always attentive to their needs, even if his own often went neglected. Not that he had many to begin with. He felt a simmer in his stomach, but no real connection to his clients. Not even when they were in his arms and he had them beneath him.

Today was different though. The memory of the woman he met before stuck out in his mind. She looked so surprised to see him, her large, brown eyes were like warm pools of spice. The way she stared at him was so different than the way anyone else did. It made something in his stomach flop.

Natsu had been so ready to dismiss her, but the sight of those flushed cheeks and embarrassed flailing had stopped him cold in his tracks. For a rich darling of the upper class, she seemed to have spunk. Even telling him a bold faced lie to try and evade his questions.

He kind of liked her spunk. It reminded him frighteningly of _her…._

But it couldn't be.

She remained in his head, even as he was lead upstairs, washed, cleaned and stripped down. There he waited on the sheets, devoid of all clothing and staring at the light overhead. The silence was only punctuated by Happy digging his claws into a fancy looking throw blanket.

But then his imagination got the better of him. How he was a little disappointed she hadn't been the one to buy his time. He wouldn't have minded watching her beneath him, her hair fanning out around her head and shifting in waterfalls every time he rocked into her.

The way she looked in her dress, all pretty and fierce made his gut twist. She was curvy; enough that he could fill his hands with her, squeeze, and still have more spill out between his fingers. Her generous chest was eye catching, and her flaring hips swayed in just the right way. He had never seen a woman like her before up close and wondered if those traits she had distracted men.

Sometimes he would catch the guards looking at magazines of women, and figured she was probably more than capable of making all sorts of men weak to her. While those traits were all eye catching, Natsu had been entrapped by her eyes. It took bravery to look a fighter in the eye the way she had, and he _liked_ it.

He thought, for just one wild moment, what it would be like to have her here with him in this bed, looking at him with those fierce eyes.

That simmer he occasionally felt jumped several degrees hotter with alarming speed. Natsu's breath had caught, along with the surprise over what was happening down south.

He was a virile young man but more often than not he needed some external help to make him interested enough to service a client. There was no bigger mood killer than apathy after all.

This time he had been ready to go. No additional help needed, which had been confusing and embarrassing when his handler had taken one look at him and leered.

" _Well, someone's eager."_

He stared up at the ceiling, one arm tucked under his head. Tired muscles pulled at the action and he shifted to get comfortable.

A light touch ran across his arm, drawing his attention. Lips pressed against his mouth and Natsu responded automatically.

"See you tomorrow, Salamander." The woman whose name he didn't know was sliding her hand across his chest as she drew away. She shifted towards the edge of the bed to wiggle her dress back on.

Natsu thought she kind of looked like a worm when she did that.

"That was your best performance yet, I hope we can have some more fun soon." Then she looked at her reflection in the mirror, fixing her lipstick and fussing with some invisible detail in her hair. She winked at him, and he watched her leave without breathing a word.

It was blissfully quiet in the pretty room, and Natsu let the sound of his breathing lull him into a half-sleep.

Thoughts of the blonde kept plaguing him.

He wished he could just wipe his mind clean of her, make her mean nothing at all like all the other women that came and went. Not like he'd see her again anyways. Unlike the women who visited him here, who paid money for his body, the blonde with the chocolate eyes had stumbled upon him seemingly on accident. Had even _denied_ his accidental offer.

Something about her wouldn't let him go. She was familiar, and at the same time was not.

Hers was a face he couldn't quite place, like a phantom scratching at the corners of his mind. He'd be lying to say he hadn't noticed her immediately. Even in the ring he had caught sight of her, just briefly before her face melted into the crowd with a bunch of strangers.

It was right after the Dragon had kicked him into the wall. His calf throbbed in an angry reminder at his lack of attention. Somewhat dazed, Natsu had chanced a look up at the crowd.

And locked eyes with _her._

The woman's bottom lip was caught between her teeth, her eyes were wide with what looked like worry. Her body leaned forward over the railing, as if she had wanted to go down into the pit herself. But unlike those on either side of her, she was missing the vintage bloodlust of a normal spectator.

The distraction had earned him a square punch to the face, jolting his head back into the fight.

But that familiarity was hard to shake. Perhaps that was why he had helped her…

Breathing out through his nose, Natsu punched at his pillow to mold it into a more agreeable shape.

He knew he would soon be collected from the room. Sent back down to his better guarded quarters where he could properly lick his wounds. His breathing slowed and dropped off into a restless slumber. He might as well enjoy the room while he had it.

-::-

"What were you _thinking_!"

Gajeel's roar was loud enough to shake the frame of Levy's Hackmobile. Levy rocked back on her stool, her hands rubbing at the sides of her head to try and get some hearing back in one of her ears.

They were parked far away now from the Ring, Gajeel the one who had taken the wheel despite Levy's penchant for mad driving. The entire time he drove, the bulky man muttered sharp curses under his breath, jerking the steering wheel from one side to another. Levy and Lucy exchanged glances, both aware he was like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.

It seemed he had just enough sense to hold off on his rant until they were good and far away from the arena. Gajeel clearly wanted distance from the place, and thanks to what she had seen within, Lucy couldn't blame him.

Although she was not looking forward to his fury.

Lucy cringed now that they were parked, hunching down in her dress coat, wrapping the faux fur around herself like a shield.

"I had to improvise, Gajeel! Salamander was there!" Lucy shouted back at him.

"So what? He would've still been there next time! And the time after that!" Gajeel shot back, eyes furious. "You almost didn't make it back out of that room. Do you know what could have happened to you?!"

Lucy took a deep breath. "I do," she affirmed in a low tone, raising her eyes to stare at him defiantly. "But I'd do it again."

Gajeel groaned, raking a hand through his hair and pressing his palm into his eyes. He took a deep heaving breath, as if to find his center, and shook his head.

"Of course you would," he grunted, dropping down on a tiny stool his frame completely overshadowed.

It was right in front of one of Levy's console units, and Pantherlily took the second he was distracted to jump up onto his lap. The cat sat upright, his spine straight and like a military captain as opposed to a domestic pet.

He meowed at Lucy, as if to chide her for her recklessness.

"It's an unnecessary risk for you to go in there more than you're needed, Lucy." Gajeel looked up, his large hand lightly setting on top of his cat's head, patting down his spine. "The more often they see your face, the more suspicious they'll get."

Lucy lifted her chin at Gajeel. "Which is why I gave them a reason they'll see my face so much."

"C'mon, Gajeel, she's got this," Levy sighed, but Lucy could tell she was also very wary over the risks she was taking.

But Lucy couldn't help it.

This was Salamander. He was her friend, even if he couldn't remember it.

It was worth the risk.

-::-

Two short knocks interrupted the silence of Natsu's room.

Laying on his sorry excuse for a bed, one arm tucked behind his head, Natsu turned and glared at the door. He knew who was on the other side - only one person bothered knocking, the rest just barged in whether he was ready or not.

Since the door couldn't be opened from the inside, Natsu made a noise of acquiescence.

It swung open a second later, allowing Zeref to stroll inside.

Though his face was carefully neutral, void of emotion, Natsu could tell that he was pleased about something. It was in the way that his dark eyes crinkled at the very corners. His hands were clasped behind his back as he meandered through Natsu's room, perusing the walls as though there were knick-knacks to inspect.

"You want something?" Natsu finally grunted.

"Do I need an excuse to come visit my younger brother?" Zeref lifted a single brow but continued to glance over the bare walls.

Natsu didn't respond, his eyes turning stubbornly back towards the ceiling. He knew there was no point in talking to Zeref, the older man would just say whatever he wanted to anyway. In fact, he was surprised he was taking so long to get to the point.

Lazily, he slid his eyes over to where Zeref was looking at the floor near his sink. Natsu's eyes widened when he realized that was where that strange lady had been hiding earlier. Had she dropped something? Natsu hadn't even thought to question it. After spending the evening with his client, he hadn't even paused to check the room.

Now he wished he had.

Zeref stopped part of the way where he was crouching down, picking up something from the floor. Natsu's heart almost jumped out of his chest when he spotted some glittering gold sequins in the older man's palm.

For a moment, Zeref seemed puzzled.

He held the bauble between his fingers, twiddling it and holding it up to the light as if to inspect it. All the while, Natsu held his breath - waiting for Zeref to turn a knowing look on him. There was no way that he didn't know the gold sequin had come from another person. Another person who wasn't supposed to have been visiting Natsu's personal room.

The blonde woman.

But, instead of commenting on it, Zeref merely pocketed the sequin.

"You did well today," he murmured, finally meeting Natsu's gaze. "I came to tell you that."

Natsu swallowed, unsure why Zeref had chosen to ignore the sequin, but grateful nonetheless. "You don't usually come to personally congratulate the winners," he pointed out.

"True enough," Zeref allowed, "but I've always made an exception for you."

Natsu snorted. He supposed there was some truth in that, even if it was always to Natsu's detriment. He scowled and sat up, wanting to know why he was really here.

"And?"

"Always straight to the point I see..." Zeref looked a little disappointed with the speed in which Natsu seemed to dismiss him. He snagged the sheet Natsu had used to cover his sink, folding it in slow, deliberate motions even as he gave it an annoyed look.

Natsu hid a smirk, knowing the blood and grime he had gotten on it would bother the clean corners and immaculate order his brother tended to like.

He shook his head afterward, hating that he still called the man who had done so much to him 'brother.'

Some habits never died.

No matter how much he might have wanted them to.

"Your retainer said you were very good today with your clients. You didn't even need the additional help like normal," Zeref put bluntly, and Natsu felt like burying his face in Happy's fur to try and smother himself.

The direction of this conversation was already horrifying and demeaning on more than a hundred levels. The way Zeref spoke about the experience - as if Natsu were a breeding stallion and had performed exceptionally well.

"I had hoped this to mean you would finally be in a more agreeable mood."

Being forced to fuck some high end, dainty housewife never put him or anyone else in an _agreeable_ _mood_. Even if, during the whole time, Natsu had been imagining someone else in order to make it a little more...engageable.

Someone with pretty blonde hair who smelled like fresh soap and flowers and not gallons of musky perfume to mask the smell of sex.

Natsu snorted to distract himself.

Zeref turned, his expression tight, as though he were about to breach an unpleasant topic. "You are meant to inherit Tartaros from me one day."

That made Natsu sit up straight.

Unpleasant topic indeed.

He'd always known about Zeref's plans for him - the coddling and grooming had been dead giveaways. It was pitiable to think that Natsu had been treated fairly well compared to some of the other fighters, but he was clearly given better food and medical care. Not to mention, he was educated to a certain extent.

Most fighters couldn't even read their own names.

There was a reason, though, that Natsu had been the "lucky one". A reason why Zeref had reached out to him as a child and continued to watch and guide him from afar. Zeref seemed to think that they were alike in some way, that they were kindred spirits.

That alone was enough to make Natsu's stomach revolt - he wasn't like Zeref. He never would be.

"I'm not one of your pawns," Natsu growled.

"No," Zeref agreed, "you're my brother. And as my brother, you're destined for greatness." He spoke to Natsu slowly, as if he was still a small, frightened child in a cage.

He was not afraid anymore, accepting of his fate perhaps, and angry - but not scared. Natsu still lived in a cage, even if it was a different size and shape than the one he'd first occupied.

" _Greatness? What part of this hellhole even remotely resembles greatness? You have people paying you for bloodbaths. People pay you to watch us slaughter each other like wild animals."_

Natsu felt like screaming that at him. How many times had he tried to get Zeref to see the sense in what he did? How all the violence they went through never changed anything. It only altered the body count and made the privileged people's wallets fatter.

A dime of which none of the fighters, of course, saw.

Not that Natsu would want a dime for what he was forced to do in the Ring. Or outside of it.

"This doesn't seem like greatness to me," was what he chose to say instead.

But Zeref shook his head, his smile indulgent and maddening.

Natsu wanted to surge to his feet and rip it right off his patient face. That was an act he knew would not end well for him - Zeref had not become the Master by accident, and Natsu did not think he was ready to take him on.

Not yet, anyway.

Zeref ran a hand through his dark hair and shook his head. "After all these years you're still so naïve…" he uttered upon a small laugh. "Don't worry, though. You'll understand one day, and you'll thank me. Everything I've done is for you." Zeref's dark eyes flashed, and Natsu swore they glinted a strange shade of red. "You'd do well to remember that."

"I'd sooner let Happy claw out my own tongue," Natsu replied bitterly, his hand dropping protectively over his feline.

The little cat's fur had fluffed out the moment Zeref entered the room, long hisses and snarls coming from the puffy feline the whole time.

Happy hated Zeref. Almost more than he hated all the muscle men.

And Natsu didn't blame him.

"Well I hope it doesn't come to that," Zeref's response was dry, if a little amused by Natsu's snarl. It was almost as if he thought he were making a joke of some kind. "Rest up, little brother, you have two appointments tomorrow. And I hope you'll be just as successful as you were today."

Zeref gave him one last, lingering look, before he tossed the filthy blanket to the foot of Natsu's bed and let himself out.

Natsu groaned the instant he was gone, stroking his hand down Happy's tail to calm him down.

"Great," Natsu sighed and shook out his blanket, rolling over onto his side and curling Happy to him. The cat obediently dropped into the space next to his scarf and under the crook of his arm. "Alright, buddy… let's get some shut eye."

Natsu stared at the gray wall in front of him. "No rest for the wicked, is there?"

* * *

 _ **THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! We'll see you guys next Saturday!**_

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	8. Outside Fighter

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! We are so glad you liked our last chapter. And a ton of you were looking forward to what's about to happen... So stay tuned! It's back into the ring we go.**_

* * *

CHAPTER 7

 **Outside Fighter  
** _boxer that prefers operating from long-range_

Lucy fiddled with the clasp of her earring as she was led along a well-lit corridor. The tiles magnified the sound of her heels on the ground as she followed the man in a suit to her assigned room. It reassured her, made her feel more confident.

They halted in front of one of the doors, and the man took a key off his keyring, unlocking it before he opened it for her. She nodded in thanks, a blush coating her cheeks. His expression was stoic, but she could see in his eyes that the idea of what she was about to do in there amused, or even thrilled, him.

Lifting her face proudly, she waited until he closed the door behind her and the _click_ told her she was locked in. She took a deep breath before facing the room.

She was not greeted by what she had imagined.

The room itself, of course, was classily equipped and pompous in its entirety.

However, the person awaiting her - while definitely Salamander - was not _exactly_ awaiting her.

Curiously, she stepped closer.

He was lying on the large bed, silk sheets messily wrapped around his naked body. Snores, sometimes soft, sometimes putting a bear to shame, told her he was completely asleep.

His hair was dishevelled, falling over his eyes while a few unruly locks had slipped out of the short tail he normally had his hair tied into. Previous experience with Gajeel told her that walking right up to him and poking him awake wasn't necessarily the best way to get his attention, but she couldn't help but draw near to just look at him.

Reluctant to wake him up when he looked so peaceful, Lucy sat down at the edge of the bed next to him. The weight of her shifted against the mattress and made it sink down an inch. The springs creaked, and she felt rather than heard his breath catch.

It seemed Salamander was a light sleeper despite his raucous snores, and when she looked at him, his dark eyes were open. Drowsy with incomprehension, they stared at her, his face relaxing around the edges and eyes sliding shut. Lucy heard him mumble something, but she couldn't quite make it out. So she leaned forward and prodded his thigh with a finger, causing his attention to sharpen on her.

It was slow, but sense seemed to return to him and he leaned up, his body curving as he supported his weight on his elbows.

"Can't find the bathroom again?" he asked after a long second, his voice low and husky with the remnants of sleep clinging to him.

Lucy smothered a smile at his sly question, but she could tell he was wondering why she was here. Again. And this time in the room she was _supposed_ to be in.

"Oh, no," she replied with a smile. "This time I found it all on my own."

"Then, why are you…" he trailed off, and she watched the last of sleepiness leave him as he blinked. "Oh - did you change your mind after all?"

His eyes fixed on her with a mixture of amusement, just a spark of lust, and… disappointment?

Lucy opened her mouth, and closed it again. Heat spread across her cheeks once more, leaving her brain nearly bloodless if her inability to come up with a reply was anything to go by.

"No!" she finally managed, scandalized.

He sat up some more, and she was glad the sheets covered his private area, because he probably wouldn't have bothered to cover up for her. The quizzical look was back in his eyes, along with a considerable amount of apprehension.

"Then why are you here?" he asked again, brows furrowing. "You found me here on purpose, didn't you?"

Lucy hummed in acknowledgement, but just crossed her legs, leaning back on the bed with her arms keeping herself up. His eyes followed her, appraising and with just a hint of wariness. She didn't know how to explain why she was here. Not in a way she thought she could make him understand at least.

She didn't respond at first, instead catching sight of a blue tail whisking back and forth underneath the bed. A smile spread over her face and she made a happy noise in the back of her throat when she saw that familiar feline, tucked just out of sight.

Now that she took a closer look at him, Lucy noticed something she hadn't the last time. There was a white spot at the end of his tail Lucy didn't recall from the time she'd spent with him as a child. As if it had been dipped into paint. Or something worse.

Following her line of sight, Salamander frowned when she began to bend down. He surged forward as if to stop her, but Lucy was out of reach. "Wait, he doesn't like-"

She scooped up the cat, who made a startled noise at first over the sudden change in perspective, but settled down in Lucy's arms. Salamander's eyes went saucer-like at the way his cat was no doubt melting in her arms.

His shock became palpable when a loud purring began to fill the room.

"Aw, isn't he a sweet little guy?" she cooed, scratching him just behind his torn ear in the way she remembered he liked. At least Happy seemed to remember her by the way his tail curled around her arm and flicked against her skin.

Salamander just stared, unable to understand why his cat was suddenly behaving in the arms of a stranger.

"What's his name?" Lucy asked. Of course she already knew, but he wasn't aware of that detail.

For a moment he seemed reluctant, but then his shoulders sank in surrender.

"Happy," he told her, eyes watching her every reaction. He sounded surprised. "He likes you."

"I think he does," she said with a smile, letting the cat sniff her hand, biting back a proud smile when he started licking along her thumb with his rough tongue. Happy was old, now, but still the cat she remembered.

Salamander seemed unable to wrap his head around the situation.

"Happy," she repeated, fixing him with clever eyes. "Like a team from a comic book. Happy and…?"

Fisting his hands into the silken fabric, Salamander exhaled slowly. "Again, huh?" he asked, something like exasperation in his tone. "You know I'm not gonna tell you my name. What's the deal, anyways?"

Lucy shrugged. "Just curiosity, I guess," she said with the ghost of a smile, looking up at him through long lashes. "You interest me."

Maybe this was a way to justify her continued visits: a bored, rich young heiress who was trying to break out of the daily trot of her boring life, focusing her interest on a lost boy.

She knew just how to play that part.

But at the same time, she wanted him to _like_ her. She wanted him to trust her, and not for the purpose of investigation, but because she was trying to break through to the boy she had once known. Because she liked him, too.

Her hope of him recognizing her was slim, but she irrationally held onto it.

"Do I," he laughed dryly. "Is this the sort of thing you normally do to pass the time?"

Lucy walked around the room to slide onto the other side of the bed, tucking her legs up under her dress to snuggle Happy on her lap. Her lips quirked up at the corners and she looked over at him. "I know you're just as curious about me, as I am about you."

He blinked, brows furrowing down and his mouth opening. His protests were silent, but unvoiced. It seemed he didn't know how to respond without lying, and that was a point in her favor.

"What makes you think you interest me?" Salamander asked, his tone just a little sharp.

It was enough for Happy to peek his head up and look at him, before settling back down in Lucy's hold. There was a sudden edge to his voice, but it was low, a roughness to it that had her heart skipping a beat.

"If I didn't, then you wouldn't have helped me yesterday," she breathed out.

It was a struggle to keep her gaze where it belonged, but every time he breathed, the sheet seemed to slip around his hips just a little more. Especially now that she had moved to the other side of the bed, the silk didn't have a good purchase on his skin.

"Maybe I just wanted to know what you were doing so far away from where you belonged?" Salamander shot back. His voice was hard, but there was a hint of truth in what he was asking. He knew she had been lying then, and no doubt he knew she was keeping things from him now.

Lucy set Happy on the bed between them. The cat looked a little surprised at the new environment, pawing through the silken sheets to nudge against Salamander's hip.

"That's still interest, isn't it?" Lucy asked.

"I suppose," he grunted, automatically moving to stroke Happy between his ears. The gears were turning in his head, she could almost see it as he pulled a face and kept his gaze on the cat. It was a little amusing, really.

Stifling a small laugh, Lucy tried to catch his attention. She cleared her throat, smiling when he looked back up at her. His expression held some of the hostility she had seen when she had stumbled upon him for the first time.

"I'm Lucy," she told him softly, watching his eyes widen in surprise. But his body remained tense, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "It's okay, don't worry. You don't have to tell me yours. I got it."

This seemed to do the trick for now.

"Good to know, I guess," he said finally. "I got a feelin' you wanna stick around."

"I can be stubborn like that." Lucy gave him a soft smile, one that had him frowning. His hands curled around his cat, stroking down his back so he leaned back, pawing at the air near his fingers.

Salamander fell silent, his lips pressing together into a worried line that had her following his averted gaze.

"What's the matter?" Lucy asked, swallowing around the sudden knot she could feel tightening in her throat. There was something he wasn't saying, the caution boiling in his eyes was enough to cause a flag to raise.

"You ask a lot of questions," he answered, his voice quiet but guarded.

Oh.

Lucy could see why that would worry him. A woman he had never met before taking a sudden and focused interest in him? In the world he lived in, that probably never meant anything good. This was not like a story she would see in a pulp fiction novel on the shelves of a gas station. Rescue from a life like this was impossible. No matter how deep Lucy's wallets ran, she couldn't buy him his freedom. As much as she wanted to, even she knew that wasn't going to happen. The thought probably hadn't even crossed his mind.

No doubt he was thinking about the consequences of her interest in him.

Hesitant fingers covered over his scarred knuckles. Both of their hands rested over Happy's fur, and she felt his gaze on her without having to look.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," she apologized. Lucy peeked her gaze up at him, deciding a little bit of straightforward honesty would probably get her further than half-truths.

Like Gajeel, he seemed to have a sensor for bullshit.

"You remind me of a friend I had a really long time ago," she confessed quietly. "You both have the same smile."

His eyes shot up to meet hers.

They were a lot more vulnerable all of a sudden, noticing her honesty for what it was.

His hand twitched lightly beneath hers, and he licked his lips.

She had moved closer than she thought she had, invading his personal space. Her face was inches from his, and her breasts almost brushed against his bicep.

"I do?" he asked, his voice low and rough.

Transfixed by his dark eyes, all she could do was nod. Her hand squeezed his, gently, and the motion made her breath hitch. They lingered like this, maybe a few seconds, maybe just the blink of an eye.

Then Salamander pulled back, only a bit, and the spell broke.

"I'm not interested in being a ghost," he told her slowly, his voice still husky. "You don't know my name, but I do have one, and I'll never pretend to be someone I'm not."

His voice was steady, eyes burning into her. He wasn't being unfriendly, but he left no room for protest. Lucy took a deep breath as she regained her senses.

"He's not a ghost." Lucy blinked rapidly, almost a little shocked at how thoroughly he was able to ensnare her. Her voice was quiet, her breath tangling like string between her ribs. He made it hard to think, which in her position, was not necessarily a good thing.

She didn't have it in her yet to tell him he was who she was looking for.

"He's not a ghost," she repeated, more to herself than him.

No, he wasn't. At least not yet. Her friend was still there in the fire that glinted in his eyes, his steadfast will, and the sparks of kindness she saw buried beneath layers of bitterness.

If she could, she would peel each layer back to the boy who was alive with hope. He was still there. Lucy stubbornly felt it to the core of her being.

"Besides, I don't waste my time on ghosts." She turned his hand over between hers, lifting it off the cat. Lucy was a little surprised he allowed her to take his hand in hers, but she supposed it was only because technically she had purchased his time. The thought made her a touch angry, but none of it was directed at him.

Laying his hand on her lap, she turned his palm up towards the ceiling, lightly tracing the lines of his hand with her index finger. It was calloused, and his hand jerked just a little in her lap when she gently glided her fingertips over the curve of his thumb. His fingers flexed right before he breathed in sharply through his nose.

"What're you doing?" he asked, his voice a low rumble in their dim room. Salamander was leaning forward, eyes focused down on their hands. He licked his lips again, his shoulders heaving as a breath escaped him.

Lucy bit back a smile, focusing instead on his open hand. "When I was little, I had an accident. For a while I was afraid to do much of anything, but one of my friends from my class came to visit me. She had a book on palm reading."

He didn't say anything, so she went on.

Tracing the long line that reached from the pad of his thumb to the base of his index finger, Lucy dug into her memory.

"You're going to lead a long life," she told him, and he pulled a face. She thought she heard him mumble an _oh, great_ and felt the sudden need to conjure a smile up onto his face. "And you'll have three children."

He snorted, then, pointing at the line she had traced last with his free hand.

"You read that there, huh? I don't think that line is very trustworthy." He tapped against the palm of his hand. "What's it say? Girls or boys?"

Lucy hesitated.

"Two boys, one girl," she said then, grinning.

He looked back at her, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You're shit at this," he informed her, and she gasped as if offended.

"I might be a little out of practice," she conceded, not letting go of his hand.

"What does this one mean, then?" he asked, suddenly more enthusiastic. Dreaming up impossible futures had the ability to make everyone a little weak, after all. He tapped another, rather long line, curiously peeking at her.

"This one means you'll be rich," she made up on the spot. "And that you'll get a lifetime supply of… what's your favourite food?"

"Chili con carne."

"...Chili con carne," she finished, holding back laughter.

He grinned at her, a genuine, bright grin that lit his face up, and for a moment she forgot how to breathe.

It had been too long since she had seen it.

"You didn't make _any_ of this up, did you?" he asked, still grinning.

"I would never," she answered with a cheeky twinkle in her eyes. "I would never forget even one of the hundreds of different ways to combine and interpret the lines on people's hands that I learned over fifteen years ago."

"Especially not the Chili con carne line, right?" Salamander asked, leaning over where she was rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand.

"No," Lucy replied with grave seriousness. "That one is extremely important."

"Well yeah," he returned, expression deadpan. But his lips twitched at the corners. "It's about food. So of course it is."

"Okay," Lucy stuck out her tongue and blew a small raspberry at him, "so maybe I'm not the best at reading palms."

His broad shoulders rolled as he dropped down to the side, propping himself up. He kept his hand in hers, letting her turn it over to trace over his knuckles. There was some light bruising over them.

"I can see why you liked it when you were little."

Happy nudged his way under Salamander's arm, claiming the crook under his arm and chest as his own. The little cat was not used to such fine things to lay on either, and he was taking advantage of Lucy's kindness like the thief he was.

"Oh yeah?" Lucy finally released his palm so she could fish through her purse. "What makes you say that?"

"Thinking up a bunch of impossible futures, it's kind of fun," he replied. Curious, he watched her turn her purse over and dump the contents out on the bed.

She huffed when she didn't find what she was looking for, instead scooping everything and dropping it back into her handbag.

"I was looking for my cards, that colleague of mine gave me a tarot deck. I thought she slipped it in my bag," Lucy muttered.

Of course instead of the deck, it appeared said colleague had unloaded a box of condoms into Lucy's purse with the thought she should be safe. Good ol' Cana, looking out for her friends.

What would she say now if she realized where Lucy was and who she was with...

"I was thinking I would bring them with me next time, but you seem to think my palm reading is just a game," Lucy said with an air of offense.

Salamander raised an eyebrow, looking at her as if she had grown a spare head. "But isn't it?"

Lucy reached over and snagged his opposite hand, ignoring his surprised yelp when suddenly the arm supporting his head was yanked free. His face flopped into a silken pillow with a muffled noise, but Lucy hummed at him.

"I think your lines are true, you'll have a long life, have some children, become rich, and eat all the spicy food you could ever hope for," Lucy chided him.

He looked up from the cushion he was partially smothered in with an eye roll. For whatever reason, her optimism wasn't bothering him like it normally would. Lucy was clearly new to the ring, the inner workings and how this place ran. He had never seen her at any of the other matches before, and he thought hers was a face that would stand out.

He had wondered before, if the people paying for these fights knew what happened to its fighters. He supposed it was willful ignorance, if anything. You couldn't feel bad about something you did not know, and why would you bother to find out? Even if it was not a hard guess.

"If you really think that, maybe you're not that smart after all," he told her, a humourless smile spreading across his face before he let his head drop down again.

A number of emotions worked over her face, but he couldn't quite pinpoint any of them.

"I do think that, though," she finally answered, her tone a lot more serious. "And if you don't believe it, I'll believe it for you."

Huffing, Natsu turned to look at the ceiling.

It sure was a nice idea she had planted in his mind. But it was nothing more than that: a dream. He wondered when he had become so cynical. Where was the boy who had struggled and resisted?

He'd grown up, he told himself, and had accepted that it was no use resisting.

There was no way out. Only death.

But Lucy didn't believe that, did she?

Hope was a funny thing. It was a seed that never really died even when the grounds it was buried in were dry and arid. All it took was a single drop of water to moisten the soil once again.

He felt a touch against his bicep, this one was feather light and send a small shock of electricity jolting down his spine. Unlike all the other ones he had felt before, this one was gentle and almost welcome. Lucy's face filled his vision, bending over him, the dull light casting a soft and gentle hue over her golden hair.

"Hey you've got a fight tomorrow right? Why don't you get some rest while you can?" Lucy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, the motion catching Natsu's eyes, "I've seen the place they sit you in, and I've got you with me for a while yet. So why don't you take the time and nap or something?"

He stared at her this time with genuine effort to understand her. This woman was definitely a confusing one. She bought his time to… what? Talk to him? It was rare, but sometimes he had clients who bought his services to talk to him about their lives. He didn't really understand it himself, but he guessed they wanted company.

This was weird and different though.

"What exactly are _you_ going to do while I just sleep?" Natsu raised an eyebrow at her. Lucy's face only brightened at the question, her hand diving back into her purse. She pulled out the thickest book he had ever seen. He saw it fall out of her purse earlier but he hadn't questioned what it was for.

She had seriously brought reading material.

Natsu didn't know if he should feel insulted.

Falling asleep with another person in the room, someone he did not really know at all, was a risk though. But for some reason, he was sure he had nothing to fear with Lucy. She was no threat.

And not only because the most menacing weapon in her possession right now was a thick book.

Maybe he should really grasp the chance.

The bed was soft, the sheets smooth, and with her here he would not be woken by the rough hands of his caretakers. Until she left, he could sleep as much as he wanted to.

It was a really tempting thought.

Tempting enough to give in to it.

"All right," he complied, wiggling himself into a more comfortable position. When he looked at her again, she was holding the book in front of her face like a shield.

"Cover up," the book squeaked, and as he looked down at himself he noticed the blankets had come off entirely.

Really, she was a weird one. Others _paid_ for a view like this.

Nonetheless, he draped the expensive blanket all the way up to his chest. It really was soft.

"You're safe now," he informed her in amusement, watching her warily lower her block of a book to peek over the rim.

Funny. He felt quite safe, too. It wasn't something he experienced often, or at all, really. Not since he had been a little boy. Only sometimes, with Happy purring reassuringly against his chest and a muggy blanket draped over him did he come a little close to the feeling he so often craved.

His eyelids felt heavy.

Lucy sat beside him, already entranced with whatever it was she was reading. He sneaked a few glances at her every now and then, but found it became harder to move his eyes with every passing second.

For the first time in a long time, he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

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	9. Technical Decision

Hello, all!

Terribly sorry for the late update today, I completely forgot until just now. Please have patience with these humble, mortal writers *clasps hands*. I think I speak for all of us when I say that things are pretty hectic right now. But then again, when are they not, eh? Anywhoser, thank you so much for all the incredible feedback lately! We're so glad you're enjoying the story thus far. It only gets crazier from here on out, though, so hold onto your butts...

Also, tomorrow is Easter Sunday, so Happy Easter! Gorge yourselves on chocolates and wine, lovelies.

* * *

 **rated:** _M for mature content_

 **summary:** _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists - and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT

 **Technical Decision**

 _when a bout is terminated prematurely due to a cut or some other circumstance sending the bout to the scorecards_

* * *

Natsu was entirely drained.

He didn't think he could take another step without collapsing, yet his body kept surprising him as he was pushed through the quarters, past the gym and the stairs that led to the cellar cages, until they came to a halt in front of his room. His proper one this time, not the makeshift dump he had spent the last week in.

Not like this one was _much_ better - but it was equipped with certain luxuries. All courtesy of big brother Zeref, of course.

This tournament had taken his all in more ways than one. His body was spent, muscles aching and eyelids heavy. There was not a single ounce of energy left in him.

An entire month of sleep sounded about right to him right now.

"Three hours," one of his escorts grunted as he shoved him into the room. "Then it's breakfast time. Sleep tight, princess."

With that, and a laugh, he slammed the door shut.

Natsu staggered the last steps to his bed, silently cursing the asshole who just loved to egg him on. He was not the only one; more than one person in here was fed up with the great Salamander and his special treatment.

It wasn't like he had _asked_ for it.

The mattress shifted as he dropped down onto it, and then wobbled a second time as Happy jumped up and curled himself into a ball on his back. Consciousness slipped from him faster than a piece of soap from sweaty fingers, and he fell into a light, unpleasant sleep full of dreams of locked away princesses and dragons just waiting to swallow him up.

And like he fell asleep, he awoke.

Grumpy, tired, and pissed off at the world.

At least today he'd have another training session with Wendy. Those always cheered him up, and he couldn't wait to show her what Lucy had given him to smuggle back here on the last night she visited him: a deck of cards.

The thought of his new friend (he guessed that was what she was, right?) cheered him up without him noticing. They'd spent another evening together, filled with nothing but small talk and banter and games, and he had never felt so at ease with any of his clients before.

Of course, he was only setting himself up for disappointment.

He tried to stop thinking of her, to not invest any feelings in whatever it was they had, but it proved a lot harder than he thought. This was the first time something like this had happened to him, and he wasn't sure how to handle it, or what to expect. Strictly speaking, he knew it was silly of him to expect anything at all. But a stubborn part of him refused to accept this.

Someone came along and showed him sympathy, treated him like a person for once, and already he was grappling for her approval like a lapdog. Maybe it'd serve him right if it came back to bite him in the end, so he'd never make the same mistake again.

There had been another person inside the ring who had shown him kindness before, who had made him think he had a friend - a brother - and look where he was now. Four solid walls instead of the freedom he craved.

But he couldn't help it. Something about Lucy had captivated him.

He'd let her be his friend for as long as she wanted to be; that alone was helping him more than she might know. Her, and Wendy. He gobbled up his breakfast greedily, impatient to finally meet up with his small friend.

He felt a little uneasy about the fact she'd had to spend a whole week without him.

And his unease was justified.

In the gym, the atmosphere felt different. Heavier, more solemn, as though weighed down by something dark and gritty. It didn't help that the other fighters did one of two things - either they refused to meet his eyes, or they flashed shark-like and taunting grins that made Natsu's skin prickle.

Something had happened.

Suspicion and anxiety were like rocks in his full stomach as he taped up his hands, casting glances around himself. And when the double doors were kicked open, he whirled around, hoping that he'd be proven wrong.

What he saw, however, made his whole body tense. His mind went blank.

 _No…_

A child was pushed into the gym by the nightmare of the gym itself. Rarely seen, but his presence was felt even more so than Zeref's; he was the Enforcer.

He did the work no one, not even scum like Zancrow, could stomach. He kept the enemies of the Ring silent, a spector who was felt rather than seen.

 _Acnologia._

He guided the child past the gym doors with a single hand on her shoulder, lips curling downwards condescendingly when she gasped in pain. And the longer Natsu stared, the sharper his disbelief became as he realized with stark horror that he was looking at Wendy. Or rather, what was left of the sweet little girl.

Her long, dark hair was gone.

Instead of those twin pigtails that she'd worn with pride, she now had a cap of ruffled, shaggy hair. It was choppy and uneven, almost like a blind butcher had been set loose on her hair. The longest strands came down to her chin...and her red ribbons were long gone.

But that wasn't the worst of the damage.

No… Neither was the swelling of her cheek, the dried blood on her lips, or the bruises on her arms and underneath her eyes that suggested her nose had been broken at some point. Her sweet, round face was mottled with yellow and blue and her lips were cracked and chapped, blood lining her gums.

Her eyes were the worst.

Hollow, vacant, devoid of hope and resigned to her fate.

Only when her eyes met his across the room did a sliver of emotion return - and it made something in Natsu break. Tears welled up in her eyes as recognition set in, and she took a limping step towards him.

When she whimpered, Natsu saw red.

Rage burned like acid in his throat and chest, making his hands curl into fists as he stormed over to Wendy. His footsteps slapped against the gym floor, sharp staccato beats, and the whole while...he kept his sights on Acnologia. Acnologia, who blinked demurely and kept one large, brutal hand on Wendy's shoulder possessively.

One second Natsu was by the tape station, and the next he was directly in front of Acnologia.

Natsu had to tip his head back in order to make eye-contact - Acnologia was a giant of a man. And even so, his hands itched to bury themselves in his face. Instead, Natsu settled for digging his blunt nails into his palm.

"What did you do?" he seethed in a low voice.

Acnologia's icy eyes narrowed, as though offended that Natsu had even dared to speak. "I taught her," he said simply.

"You broke her nose," Natsu corrected, and the reminder made him want to scream. Settling for a growl, Natsu held up a curled fist, the veins in his arm spiderwebbing all the way up to the pulsing line in his throat. "How 'bout I break yours?" he offered.

Silence erupted in the gym as all the fighters promptly froze. Not even the sandbags dared swing on their squeaky hinges. The entire room waited with bated-breath.

Because to threaten Acnologia...was to sign a death warrant.

Very few dared to challenge him, and those who did were escorted from the Ring in body bags. Sometimes multiple bags. Acnologia had a penchant for ripping his opponents to literal shreds with his bare hands.

"You're challenging me?" Acnologia asked, and his stance changed. From relaxed but attentive, to alert and tensed for a fight.

Instead of answering, Natsu simply charged. He had to be fast, or he'd lose before the fight even started.

Acnologia had not gained his reputation for nothing.

"Wendy!" he called as his fist barely graced Acnologia's cheek. "Get away!"

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her back away in shock, her eyes wide with fear. Now that she was out of their immediate surroundings, Natsu could go all out. He'd get revenge on her behalf, and make sure no one would ever lay a finger on her again without knowing the consequences their actions would reap.

Blind fury fueled Natsu's movements, his usual finesse long gone. Instead of reading his opponent, he struck wherever there was an opening and barely avoided Acnologia's meaty grip.

Underneath Acnologia's arm, his vulnerable side, his feet…

Natsu aimed for them all. Sharp, quick blows that dealt little to no damage considering that Acnologia was almost as fast. Which was surprising given a man his bulk and size, but Natsu had suspected as much.

Unfortunately, though, while Natsu had the upper hand in speed...Acnologia was much more calm. Much more seasoned. And much more brutal.

He deflected Natsu's elbow, which was heading for his sternum, grabbing and twisting it behind Natsu's back. The move wrenched Natsu to the side, allowing Acnologia to wrap his other arm around Natsu's throat and constrict.

He held him there, laughing into Natsu's ear, before slamming him against a wall just as Natsu thought the next breath would be his last. His lungs were burning, and it cost him all he had to suck in air between the coughing fits that shook his body. Seething rage was the only thing that pulled him back to his feet, and he would have thrown himself at his enemy again - had not something held him back.

Strong arms gripped him, and he blindly struck out blow after blow to free himself.

"No!" he roared. "Lemme go!"

It worked once, and almost a second time, but the muscle men were many, and they had not only brute force - but batons. Acnologia looked on indifferently as Natsu went down and one slammed a syringe into his right shoulder.

The room went blurry, but still Natsu struggled to get up, desperately trying to hold on to consciousness.

Ripping the needle from his arm, he summoned enough energy to charge one last time. He lowered his head and tackled Acnologia at the waist, grunting and huffing. The speed and force - aided by the element of surprise - were enough to topple the pair to the floor. And there Natsu had his chance.

Though his vision grew dim and the sounds around him were growing murky, like he was underwater, his hands settled on Acnologia's right arm.

And gave a sharp yank.

A grizzly popping noise, echoed by an infuriated roar, were the last sounds that Natsu heard before succumbing to the drugs pumping through his blood.

\- :: -

Zeref was neatly arranging a stack of documents in his study when a knock on the door disrupted him.

This was unusual.

Zeref didn't like unusual.

It was not yet time for any reports, and usually no one disturbed him in here. It was he who decided when to leave, it was he who had everything tidy, ordered, under control.

This knock could mean nothing good.

Zeref granted entrance to the disturber with a clipped, "What is it?"

Said disturber opened the door and slipped inside, his head bowed. Zeref recognized him as one of his many hired muscle, Jerome, a man who took far too much pleasure in the suffering of others. But, seeing as how he was usually obedient, Zeref kept him on the payroll - he was very good at scaring the young ones into following directions anyway.

Almost always filled with confidence and bravado, he now presented himself humbly by keeping his head lowered.

No one stood taller than the Master.

His mood having soured already, Zeref waved a hand. "Speak."

"There was a small issue in the gym, Sir," said Jerome after a curt nod. "A scuffle involving Acnologia and Salamander."

At the mention of his younger brother, Zeref abandoned the stack of documents. He sat up straighter in his chair with interest.

"Who won?" Zeref asked.

The muscle man blinked. "Sir?"

"Who won?" Zeref repeated, his tone growing dark. He loathed repeating himself.

Jerome, seeming to understand that he'd fumbled, took a few steps back. A wise decision on his part. As was the way he flattened his palm over his heart in a loyal salute.

"No one, Sir…" he murmured, shaking his head. "We disbanded the fight after Acnologia strangled Salamander. We didn't want to risk the chance of one of our best fighters dying outside the ring."

A pity, to be sure.

Even Zeref would have liked to have seen the outcome of a match between Salamander and Acnologia. Their bitter distaste for each other was practically legendary in Tartaros. But, Jerome was also very right.

If either of the two died, then Tartaros would suffer a huge loss in profits. Natsu more so, as he was by far the most popular choice in the tournaments and between the bedsheets. He was, as others so crudely put it, the cash cow - his body provided a gross source of income that would be sorely missed.

So if and when Natsu died, it would be in the ring.

"But, even after we separated and drugged Salamander," Jerome continued in an uneasy manner, shifting nervously, "he still managed to dislocate Acnologia's arm. He's being treated as we speak."

A dislocated arm?

Zeref made a noise of approval as he folded his hands in front of his chin. Even after being pumped full of drugs, his little brother had mustered up enough strength to damage his opponent.

Sitting there, Zeref couldn't help but fill with pride.

"Acnologia suffered minor injuries, he will be fine." Fine, but angry, Zeref had no doubt. "So why are you reporting this to me?"

"Master Zeref, Sir, we just assumed a fight of such caliber in the middle of the gym...uh…" the muscle man trailed off, fixed under Zeref's cold gaze.

"Thank you," he said coldly, his anger growing by the second.

Jerome stood there a moment longer, and Zeref was tempted to fire him on the spot. Except… you couldn't just fire the retainers of the Ring. No, the risk was too big, even if said workers were mostly pure muscle and nothing much else.

This one seemed to be a particularly dumb specimen.

"You can _leave_ ," he spat, deciding he would later think about if said leave would be applied to his entire existence. Being the master was such a nuisance at times. So many decisions to make. And so many annoying disruptions.

He sighed when the man finally left.

Still… Natsu revolting like this, for whatever reason - it was something that had not happened in years. Zeref had thought he had finally been able to convince him the way of no resistance was the wisest, and best for him.

Pulling open a slim drawer, Zeref regarded the little ziplock bag he had placed inside a few days ago. The gold sequins glinted in the light.

Natsu had been in a deceptively good mood, if his sources were viable. Zeref himself never saw a side of Natsu that could be remotely described as pleasant. Not anymore. Not yet.

It was as if a seed had been planted back into Natsu, the will to resist, and Zeref found himself wondering just why that was.

For now, though, he would make sure to rip out that seed before it had a chance to grow.

Picking his sleek Blackberry up off the table, Zeref selected the assistant that had proven to be his most effective out of the fighters who seemed all too eager to change sides and live on the other side of the cage.

"Zancrow," he greeted curtly, "Salamander will be on lockdown in the dungeon for the next two weeks. He will not see anyone except Acnologia. He will take care of his private training."

Ignoring the rather unsophisticated answer, Zeref cut the line.

He'd have a good talk with Acnologia as soon as he was back on his feet. For disciplining Natsu, he was just the right man, but Zeref would make it clear that any step too far would be severely punished.

He tried to smooth the creases in his forehead, massaging it with cool fingers. Maybe this would put some sense back into Natsu.

If he could only understand. It was for his best.

* * *

Natsu VS Acnologia! And a little insight into Zeref...hmm...

 _FranFranWriter, Snavej, Satisfied Reader, Bleach94, Guest, SilverNight104, Marydreamer, Celestial War101, imeaniguess809, xAllyxCatx, Sara lovelymusic, Lulu heartfilia, Stella377, FanficNerd, Guest, AJDrakes, Yourstruly, searching, sophia i paz, Spartaness, Maddy952, Phiafairy, 3 14159265SlicesOfPi, TOASTER101, Twishadowhunter, Cassia-Aedea, A Beauty that's a Beast, wonderlust714, Shidake, Avengerika, Fairytail-FMA-fan, SnowOfAshes, Fusion0104, hockettaustin1, BitterSweetTeas, heyitsmogan, Etrinity, Wonderwomanbatmanfan, Yuyui Hime, JeslynBoo, FlameDragonHime, owlcity2013, Mo0nyMoon, kklolo2 oct, grace evans13, arielafina, shippinginjune, MehKitty, RunningWithTheRiptide, taybitt39, LoveTheMonster, okmeamithinknow, Doublepasse_

Next time! Chapter 9: Parry


	10. Parry

First of all, I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend (if you celebrate the holiday; if not, then I hope you had just as lovely a weekend). I know I did! I got to sleep for once! Secondly, I apologize for updating so late (it's technically Sunday now, shame on me...). I'm currently juggling three different massive, grade-changing projects, all of which are due on Monday, and I haven't completely finished any of them yet TT^TT I won't be sleeping for a while it seems.

So I hope you'll all forgive this meager college student.

That being said, enjoy!

* * *

 **rated:** _M for mature content_

 **summary:** _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists - and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER NINE

 **Parry**

 _changing the trajectory of an opponent's punch using the gloves to slap away the shot_

* * *

Lucy swirled a lock of hair between her fingers, heaving a sigh through her nose as she squinted at her computer screen. After the insane week she had sneaking into the underground ring, it almost seemed strange to go back to the normal grind at work.

Explaining to her editor that she was working on a story about an underground crime syndicate wasn't exactly on her paygrade. Not that it mattered. She was going to tell everyone about what was happening.

Still a newbie at the paper, Lucy didn't have much opportunity to prove herself. All she got assigned to her were fluff pieces about local mom and pop shops. Any story she pursued was on her spare time. Her chief seemed very happy about her initiative even if it had earned Lucy some enemies among her colleagues.

It was a waste of a resource to stick her behind a desk day in and day out. Now she was sitting on a story she could protect.

 _People_ she wanted to protect.

Protecting them proved to be a long and hard process though, with an unclear end awaiting them. For the next two months, she couldn't do much more than wait, and the knowledge made her want to slam her head against her desk.

Two months of being in the dark. At least she had made sure she would receive the invite to the next tournament, but finding out they took place in such long intervals had only made her stomach flop. Of course, if she thought about it, she was happy for the fighters, even if she knew the break they would be getting was full of strenuous training and not much else. But in the end, it was just prolonged suffering.

The sooner they dug up more information, the sooner she could get to _actually_ helping them.

But for now… she had a local mom to praise.

"Y'know, you've got that look on your face again."

Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice that came right next to her ear. It was low and brushing, but along with it came the faint buzz of alcohol and a throaty laugh.

"Cana!" Lucy gaped at her, whipping around to glare at her friend. "Don't sneak up on people like that. You're bound to give me a heart attack!"

Lucy's friend didn't seem to mind, her hips swaying as she plopped down in a seat across from her, a coffee mug right at her lips.

Lucy thought she detected the faint hint of khalua mixed with creamer emanating from Cana's morning fix of caffeine.

"Sorry, girl, didn't mean to scare ya," Cana drawled back at her. Her feet found their way into Lucy's lap, forcing the blonde to shift her hands so her friend's heels wouldn't dig into her thighs. "You've been missing in action ever since you started that secret piece you're working on!"

Lucy flashed her an apologetic smile, even as Cana scooted closer to drop her chin on her shoulder.

"Can't you give me even a tiny hint?" Cana whined at her.

"Sorry, no can do," Lucy hummed and shook her head.

Cana snorted and backed away. She pouted behind the lip of her coffee mug, taking a sip of her secret brew and Lucy smiled again.

Sure, she wanted to tell Cana all about the Ring - she wanted to tell _everyone_ about it. That was the whole point, it was why she'd become a journalist. But, thoughtlessly giving another person all the dirty, gritty information would paint a bright red target on their back. And if Cana was anything like Lucy - which she was - she would rush headlong into the fray, reckless as could be.

If anything bad happened to Cana, Lucy would never be able to forgive herself.

Again, it all came down to protecting people.

So, though it was hard to sit there and pretend to be clueless, and do nothing for two months, Lucy would endure. She had to.

"Hmm, okay," Cana licked her lips after taking another sip, "if you won't tell me about your super secret story, then maybe you should tell me what else is going on with you."

Lucy frowned. "What do you mean?"

The brunette's wicked grin should have been warning enough. "Don't play dumb, Lu," chastised Cana. "You've had this...twinkle in your eye and skip in your step. At first I thought maybe you'd just bought a new pair of shoes or something but I really don't think so now. Don't think I didn't notice."

This was news to Lucy, who just blinked at her friend.

Had she been noticeably different? She didn't recall this _twinkle in her eye and skip in her step_ , but Cana seemed pretty sure of herself.

"You seeing someone?"

Even though she wasn't drinking anything, Lucy spluttered and almost fell out of her chair. She reeled, fixing Cana with an incredulous stare.

 _Seeing someone?_

"No!"

Honestly, Lucy thought with a roll of her eyes. She was "seeing someone" she supposed, but not in the romantic way her friend was implying. She was sneaking into an underground crime ring and fraternizing with a captive man who probably hadn't seen the outside world in over 15 years. Sure, he was hot - more than hot, really - but that wasn't what she was focused on.

And not his fantastic abs either. No, she was working to set him free.

It totally wasn't romantic at all -

"Oh? Then why are you blushing?" came Cana's smug voice, practically a purr.

With horror, Lucy realized that, indeed, her cheeks were burning. Slapping her hands on her face she glared at Cana's Cheshire-cat grin. "I'm not blushing," she protested, "it's just a little warm in here…"

But the argument and her voice were both weak with surprise.

Not very convincing at all.

Yet, Cana only nodded sagely. "Sure, sure…" She took another sip of her homemade irish coffee and winked at Lucy. "But, really, when you're ready to share the deets - about both - I'm all ears."

That was part of what made Cana such a good friend.

She was a gossip-monger and she was pushy at times, but she knew when to let things lie. And it was such a relief during times like this.

Lucy blew out a breath, willing the burning in her cheeks to subside. "Thanks," she said.

Cana shrugged.

"Oh, yeah, I had an actual reason for coming to see you," Cana snickered, finally dropping her feet back to the floor. "I'm writing the fortunes column again so I was wondering if I could have my cards back?"

Shit, the cards…

Lucy had almost forgotten all about them. And the fact that she kinda, sorta, maybe gave them away.

"Oh...about that," she whispered and ducked her head to apologize. "I'm so sorry, Cana, but I lost them. I promise I'll buy you a brand new set." Lucy glanced up to see that her friend's face had gone slack with shock.

"You lost them?" Cana echoed, nose wrinkling with disappointment. "Come on, Lu...those were my favorite trick cards!"

"I know, I'm sorry." Lucy reached over and patted her arm in comfort. But she knew that Cana wasn't all that mad. Even so, Lucy felt like she should offer more. "I'll buy you a drink, too. Will that make you feel better?"

If there was one thing that Cana couldn't resist, it was free booze.

And the brunette knew that, judging by the stubborn square of her jaw that was offset by the glint in her brown eyes.

"...Maybe," Cana muttered after a moment, and Lucy laughed.

"Just let me finish up here and we can go on our break," Lucy flashed her a wheedling grin. She batted her eyes at her friend, hoping she would cave.

Cana lasted precisely six seconds before she sighed and wrapped an arm around Lucy's head, dropping it into her chest.

"All right, girl, you win. But it better be the expensive top-shelf stuff," Cana pouted and swept upwards, "And we're getting my cards now. Deadline won't wait for a new deck!"

Conceding defeat, Lucy nodded and saved her file. Top shelf alcohol for Cana's taste? Oh, this was going to be a very expensive deck of cards she was about to buy.

But in the end, it was worth the expression on Natsu's face when he held them.

\- :: -

"Bullshit!"

"Damn it, you got me again!" Natsu declared dramatically, amused by the girl's red cheeks as she was forced to call out such a crude word. "I'm getting revenge!"

He dealt out the cards through the narrow bars of Wendy's cage, where she took them from him with a pensive expression. "Natsu," she started with an excited edge to her voice, "can we play another game?"

Natsu pouted. "But my friend only taught me this one," he said, rubbing his chin.

Lucy had held out the cards to him with an excited smile, and he had taken them into his hands like a small treasure. They'd played for a while, and Natsu had delighted in his occasional victories. But damn, she was good. He suspected she might even have let him win once or twice. She'd been surprised when he'd asked if he could keep the cards, but had pressed on no further, for which he had been grateful. The only thing she'd wanted to know was how he'd smuggle them, and, grinning, he had concealed them in the folds of his scarf.

"That's okay," Wendy said with a smile, "I can teach you a new one. It's called Rat Screw."

"Rat Screw?" Natsu repeated, leaning forward until his nose touched the bars.

"It's a game I learned in the orphanage," she told him, a reminiscent smile on her lips. "My best friend taught me."

The memory seemed to upset her all over again, and Natsu damned the cage that kept him from pulling her into a hug. Straightening his hand, he carefully reached through the bars and petted her head.

"Can you teach me?"

Wendy nodded, welcoming his distraction. She started explaining the game to him, hushed yet eagerly, as she arranged the cards. Natsu watched her fondly. She was like a ray of sunshine down here in the dump he was forced to call a home.

Her nose had healed, but was just the tiniest bit crooked. New bruises covered her arms, a sign of the harsh training she was put through day by day, but for now it seemed that at least the abuse had lessened a little.

Maybe it was a sign she was getting stronger. It was just like Acnologia to reward someone with _less_ beating when they did something right. Positive reinforcement was not part of his vocabulary.

Shit, if only he could convince Zeref to let him train her again.

For now, he guessed, he should be grateful he could see her at all. It was only through his special privileges that Zeref allowed him an hour a day by her side.

During the weeks he had been locked away in the dungeon, he'd been worried sick. At least the knowledge that Acnologia was pummeling _him_ only had put his mind at ease a little. He'd gladly taken the hits if it meant Wendy was safe for the time being.

They only had time for one test round before the doors to the basement opened, shedding in more light than had been provided by the sorry, dirty lightbulbs.

Three men stood in the doorframe, and one of them moved through the rows of cages to come to a halt beside where Natsu was crouching, giving him a kick to the hip.

"Special time's over, princess," he sneered. "Back to your room."

That bastard again. It was like he was seeking him out.

Natsu growled lowly, casting an apologetic glance at Wendy. "Hey, we'll play more next time, alright?"

Before he could make out her response, he was yanked to his feet. Ripping his hand free with a snarl that earned him a slap to the face, Natsu glared at the man. He'd forgotten how good it felt to fight back.

But he couldn't risk the time he got to spend with Wendy.

Maybe this was exactly why Zeref was letting him see her. To his brother, she was like a second cat. Something he could use to manipulate Natsu. But even if he knew this, he couldn't help it. The method was more effective than any beating ever would be.

And so he let himself be dragged off roughly, limiting himself to indifference and the occasional angry grunt as they made a game of rubbing his face against the wall and tossing him about like a ragdoll.

Only when he was alone, trapped in the confinements of his own room, did he deliver a punch to the wall that made the mortar flake off where he hit, leaving behind a small indent and blood from his knuckles.

He panted, not retracting his fist until the wave of rage had washed over him, leaving him worn out and resigned. Happy stroked along his calves.

There was no escape from this hell, and he _hated_ it.

* * *

Ahhhh, everyone needs a Cana in their life, no? And anyone else play Rat Screw? It happens to be my favorite ufufu...

 **Thanks for reviewing** **:** _SpeedyMomentum, swallowmysoul, Marydreamer, Aya Rose, Cassia-Aedea, Yourstruly, Duchixx, fanficlove2014, Guest, Mm323, Searching, Otaku4ever731, SnowOfAshes, Avengerika, Gir276, heyitsmogan, NaLuFTfanatic, Phiafairy, Sara lovelymusic, Wonderwomanbatmanfan, Shufflecat147, Etrinity, misssbehavin, CelestialFairy27, FlameDragonHime, Shidake, Fusion0104, TOASTER101, Ruine420, Snavej, JeslynBoo, MehKitty, A Beauty that's a Beast, RunningWithTheRiptide, jackedwolfj, allie flavored, BakaFangirl, Twishadowhunter, 3 14159265SlicesOfPi, sthokatrina, LuNa3300, Celestial War101_

Next time! Chapter 10: Puncher's Chance


	11. Puncher's Chance

Sorry for the late chapter! We've been preoccupied trying to sync up our schedules! I hope you all really enjoy the next chapter! Lets jump back into the ring!

* * *

CHAPTER TEN

 **Puncher's Chance**

 **** _when an under-skilled, but hard-hitting fighter must rely solely on his punching power to win a fight_

* * *

It was time. The next tournament.

God, she hoped he'd be there again.

At the same time she internally cringed, hating the fact she had even thought that for a second. She couldn't help herself though. Lucy desperately wanted to see Salamander, but at the same time - if she didn't, he would be safe. At least from the fists of an opponent trying to kill him.

This time when Lucy got changed into her blue evening gown, she made sure to pick a pair of shoes that wouldn't get so easily damaged. Something a tad more sensible, but still alluring enough to let her flirt her way through security. Her favorite pair of gold pumps had gotten damaged at some point in the last adventure, some of the woven beads and sequins having fallen off.

The arena was strange this time, but not as odd as the last one. This one appeared to be a condemned mall, with an area dug out in the area among fake, potted plants for the fighters to take their corners. The spectators could watch from the upper level, while cages lined the other side.

While it was certainly a lot safer looking than the old pool had been, there were more obstacles and traps for the fighters to trip over or get slammed into. Lucy was eyeing the fountain with a touch of fear. There was a corner that looked particularly deadly, stained a dark brown from an earlier fight.

Her stomach lurched.

Feeling strangely observed by the empty-faced mannequins standing behind many of the unlit shop windows, Lucy quickly mingled with the large crowd at her side.

Pushing through the shiny faces of people who wore their jewelry like trophies, she made for what she assumed to be this tournament's bidding room. She'd have to be fast this time, and not let the woman who had overbid her once or twice last time get the better of her again.

It had been a clothing store, probably, but was now emptied out to make room for the usual display of fighters. It was still too early to bid, and the room was empty except for a man with sleek blond hair. Last time, the bidding had been held by a woman, but this sure made things easier for Lucy. She was determined to buy Salamander's time for today, and a little extra help had never hurt anyone, now, had it?

If she was surrounded by criminals, she could as well be one herself.

" _Lucy, what are you doing?"_ Levy's voice cracked in her ear.

"Preparing," Lucy replied in a hush, her hands tugging at her waistline. She adjusted her cleavage, her hand tugging a few strands loose in her intricately woven hair to frame her face.

Cancer might be a little disappointed by her impromptu decision, but she leaned to the side to check her appearance and decided this would be sufficient.

" _Preparing for what?"_ Levy asked, but by the flat intonation to her voice, it was clear she already knew.

"Time to place a bid," Lucy huffed, making her way to the blond man, hips swaying with every deliberate and graceful step she took. Her lips spread into a painted smile the moment she caught his eyes flicker downwards for a moment, her fingers twisting at one of her blond locks of hair.

He looked like a hard nut to crack, but not impossible.

"I hear this is the place I can wait to put in a bet," Lucy asked in a breathless rush. She bit her bottom lip and looked up at the man. She was laying it on thick, but sometimes with neanderthals like this, subtlety was wasted.

The man didn't even blink as his eyes moved down to her face.

Lucy held back the surprised, displeased frown that wanted to work its way onto her face. Was he blind?

"Ma'am," he said in the most monotone voice she had ever heard, "the bidding will start in an hour."

"Oh, I know," Lucy tried again, coquettishly batting her lashes. "I just thought I'd pass my time a little, maybe have a look at the available _offers…_ "

Outside, the bell rang, signaling the start of another fight. Lucy swallowed, eager to distract herself. Her eyes flashed to the large screen that had already been turned on, displaying the fighters in all their sweaty and muscular glory.

The auctioneer didn't so much as budge, instead pointing to the screen next to him. On it a man was fighting against a much smaller opponent, his eyes blindfolded. But that didn't seem to stop him from wrecking as much carnage as possible.

Lucy's eyes snapped back up to the man's face, who crossed his arms around his clipboard.

"Ma'am," he repeated, "the bidding will start in an hour."

Or maybe he _was_ impossible.

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek, impatience flaring to life within her in a hot minute. However it was reined in through an incredible show of willpower. The last thing Lucy wanted to do was to make a scene and sacrifice whatever chance she might have had with winning Salamander's time.

Partially because she was trying to build a rapport with him, but again because she really just liked seeing him. Lucy wondered if he'd had time to practice his card games.

Casting her eyes down in a dejected pout, the man made a noise of impatience through his nose. As if Lucy only amounted to some airheaded blonde with a nice rack and fat wallet. Still, that wallet of hers supplied the man's paycheck, so he jerked his head towards the screen.

"No use bidding if you don't know who is even going to make it out of a fight yet," he grunted, "why don't you go enjoy the fights and take a look at all of the faces that are still pretty enough to look at after getting pounded on."

He could as well have dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.

A chill ran down Lucy's spine, and she felt the sudden urge to storm out and see for herself that Salamander was alive and well.

The amount of indifference with which the man spoke about these people disgusted her to the core. They sold them off as if they were pretty pieces of silk clothing, their value lowered by every stain and crinkle they might obtain.

Her face slipped for only a moment, and she gave him a cold stare. "Very well," she allowed. "You are right, of course. I assume there are no… refunds?"

Not one muscle moved in the Neanderthal's face, and Lucy didn't wait for an answer she didn't need. He'd probably just tell her that bidding would start in an hour, anyways.

Which meant she had no choice but to sit and watch the fights. Both teenagers and adults went through the battles. Lucy was disheartened as well, because now she didn't even have a way of determining if Salamander would even be competing tonight.

Again, it was a conflicted set of feelings Lucy kept swaying between. But in her gut, Lucy knew he was her absolute best chance of bringing the ring down. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something about him that spoke of a rebellious spirit she could relate to. The other fighters all had a blank look behind their eyes. Not one of them had enough inner fire to fight against their chains, and Lucy suspected that if she tried to talk to another fighter besides Salamander about it-

Well, the questions she asked would see her dead.

So it was with an unbearable amount of disgust that she seated herself between a bustle of taffeta and a fine Italian suit.

She tried hard to block out the sounds of dull thuds and fists hitting meaty flesh. Only when a roar from the audience rose a few decibels did she look up. One of the ring's fan favorite's, Salamander had taken the ring.

Lucy's breath caught when the bell rang out again, an agonizing jolt running through her heart and causing her to freeze. Just like the fight with the Twin Dragon, he fought hard.

Just like before, he gave his fight everything he had, and then he scraped down to his reserves and gave a little more. It came as a surprise to no one when his victory was clinched.

She didn't waste time, this time springing to her feet before the last bell rang.

Natsu's stomach twisted with nerves as he was sprayed down and cleaned up after his fight. It had been another tough one, but Natsu knew he had been distracted.

Aside from the usual tension and thrill he felt being able to fight, there was a bubbling excitement that swelled in him as he landed blow after blow on his opponent. Hope. It was such a dangerous emotion that dragged him up higher than he had been in years. He knew the bubble would eventually pop, smashing him down into the ground.

Lucy was a strange influence, and despite the oddness of their arrangements, Natsu found himself hoping she would be waiting for him in the rich room. He didn't even know why he should have expected such a thing from her. The woman clearly didn't seem interested in the fights, so why would she return?

Just to see him?

Now that kind of blind hope was just ridiculous.

So when the guards came to get him, Natsu didn't resist. In fact, he couldn't help but try and move a little faster. He cursed himself for having hope, understanding why Zeref had wanted to crush it from him.

He was lead into a large area, where soft beds and thick blankets occupied the space. It looked like it had once been a store, but half of the entrance was bricked over, a narrow metal door inset into the cement. It was rather spacious compared to the other places he had been brought to. Curiously, Natsu glanced around himself before the guards shoved him to the back to wash up.

A single knob over an emergency eyewash station was all he had to work with. It was actually a step up from what he typically got. Which was a hose.

Here, the water was still ice cold, but at least he had the benefit of bathing alone instead of being lined up with other winning fighters and hosed down.

He wondered what was so important about this client he was being allowed to shower in _private_.

Natsu hissed in pain as he scrubbed over a stinging cut across his chest. It was long and thin, a sliver made by a loose piece of glass he'd fallen on. But the worst injuries he had were those still remaining from his two weeks of training with Acnologia.

"Hurry up, Salamander!" one of the muscle men snapped. "You were a popular bid tonight! You can't keep your lady friend waiting."

He grunted, frowning a little when a thin towel was tossed at his head. He scrubbed at his body quickly and discarded it a moment later. He was a popular bid? But why? As far as Natsu was concerned, he hadn't done anything out of the ordinary to win that much attention in the ring.

"Damn, that was a cat fight if I've ever seen one," the muscle man laughed to himself. "These bitches really must be in need of a good pounding. Shame I can't join in."

Another man snorted, obviously having heard him. "Bet your dick is as big as a matchstick," he sneered. "Now _me_... I'd make that blonde scream louder than you or Salamander here ever could."

He slapped a meaty hand on Natsu's shoulder, right where a large bruise had already begun forming.

He stiffened. The blonde?

The spark of hope in Natsu's chest ignited anew, but he stomped it down. There were a million rich blonde women watching him every day.

If it was Lucy, however, and this scumbag was talking about her with that dirty mouth of his... Natsu clenched his fists.

The other guard smirked to his buddy, grabbing one of Natsu's arms and dragging him back into the larger area. There wasn't much point in him getting dressed, so he hadn't bothered.

"Get comfy, Salamander, your client's a real knockout."

He was shoved at the bed, his teeth biting angrily at the insides of his mouth.

"Damn, did you see her tits?"

"You think a girl like that is 'real'?"

"We could always just share her and let Salamander watch. How 'bout that, buddy?" The one that looked like a gorilla turned to Natsu, a sadistic grin on his ugly face.

A low growl crawled up the back of Natsu's throat.

"Look at that," he laughed, "the greedy little fucker wants her all to himself. There nothing good to fuck in the cages, eh?"

For a split second, Natsu stood stockstill. Then his fist hit the man's jaw in a well-placed, forceful hit that had the bones crunching beneath his skin.

"Say that again," he snarled, "and I'll kill you."

The man roared in pain, but his colleague was already advancing, taser in his grip.

Natsu was sure he could take him on. The muscle men might have brute force, but against a highly trained fighter of Natsu's caliber it was not of much use. The guy was all open as he came at him.

Natsu's mind raced.

Even if he did beat him to a pulp (and oh god, would he love that), he wouldn't make it five steps out of the room before another man would be on his tail. And rebelling to that degree was sure to get him locked away for the rest of the day. He wouldn't see Lucy.

Because it _was_ Lucy, right?

It had to be.

He took a step back, instinctively avoiding the painful taser. But he didn't counterattack.

The flat, plastic of the man's baton cracked against the side of his head since Natsu didn't try to guard. He was knocked to his side, where the guard he had punched was getting up. He had a hand clamped over his jaw, and Natsu thought he might have broken it.

That was the one satisfying thought he had before the man came to him and began to swiftly kick him in his aching side. Natsu coughed as he accepted the beating, feeling the others baton punch against the skin of his back several times in punishment.

The other guard eventually had to pull the other off, dragging him a few steps to force him away from Natsu.

"You'll get another crack at him later, remember he's gotta last for the customer!" the other snapped.

The guard Natsu had punched couldn't speak, and his jaw was beginning to purple where he had been struck. His eyes were black with murderous intent, and Natsu knew he had just made himself another enemy.

"Get your fucking ass in that bed, Salamander, otherwise I'm gonna have to explain to our customer why her fighter smells like grilled chicken," the man seethed at Natsu, dragging his friend back up and to the door.

Still, Natsu offered no further resistance and crawled into the bed. Sliding under the smooth sheets, he dragged them up to his waist to cover the bruises that were sure to start forming over his side and ribs. His back stung, but the strikes with the baton hadn't broken the skin. The silk sheets felt nice against his bruised back.

Furious, the guards let themselves out. The door swung shut behind them with a heavy thud, the sound of a thick lock sliding home filled the room.

Happy, who was always with him, waited exactly one second before jumping onto the bed to get comfortable.

"No, buddy," Natsu groaned around his new injuries and bent to pick up his slinky blue body. He moved the loudly protesting cat back to the floor. "Let's wait until she gets here."

Happy made an offended noise, but the grim truth was that there were plenty of blondes in the audience. Even newcomers. Natsu had totally lost it on those guards, and it was bound to make its way back to Zeref. He was sure to be punished. Again.

Natsu couldn't help but smile at his disgruntled cat. Lucy had put some bad habits in him with her appearance in his life. He knew he shouldn't be hopeful he had her as a client, but that didn't stop his pulse from quickening.

So when the door opened, he froze, looking over towards it with a mixture of concern and fear.

* * *

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	12. Stylist

Apologies for the late update! I, Mslead, lost track of time and had to get work settled. Thank you for being so patient with me! Let me give you guys your deserved chapter!

* * *

CHAPTER 11

 **Stylist**

 _A fighter who relies on skills rather than brawn._

* * *

A familiar blonde stepped into the room, and Natsu couldn't help but feel relieved.

Happy meowed excitedly at Lucy and plopped himself right back on the bed.

"Expecting someone else?" Lucy asked, her smile sly. Her hands were busy twisting at one of her earrings and patting down a few errant locks that had gotten into her face. Lucy looked unusually dishevelled.

But there was something about that which had Natsu's breath hitching in his throat. She looked beautiful. The thought was sudden and foreign in its sheer intensity, Natsu believed for a second he was sick.

"You came back?" he breathed, letting the disbelief color his voice. "And you look-..."

Lucy's cheeks went pink with embarrassment, as if guilty over being caught with something.

"Like I just got into a catfight? You're a popular guy," Lucy huffed, making her way towards him with quick, clipped steps. Her heels struck against the tiles pausing right before she reached the bed. She gave him a curious look, sitting down on the bed near the end of his feet.

He had to force himself not to squirm.

"What's up with you?" she asked, wrapping a hand around his ankle and tugging gently. "You look like you're in an unusually good mood for having been punched in the face."

She squinted at him in that way of hers she sometimes did when she looked at him. Like she was trying to pick out new injuries from the others. Before he realized what she was doing, Lucy moved closer to set her hand against his jaw. Her thumb lightly traced the sharp line leading to his mouth, her brow creasing.

"Ouch, this one is going to bruise," Lucy hummed, unknowingly tracing the area right over where he had gotten struck with the baton.

Natsu's breath caught at the gentle touch, but too soon it was gone. He almost let out a sigh of disappointment, but Lucy was already distracted, digging through her purse for something.

Curious, Natsu peeked over her shoulder to see a white bag in her hand. She squeezed it tightly and shook it hard, turning towards him with a smile.

She edged in closer to him and held it up. "May I?"

Surprised as always when someone asked for permission to touch him, Natsu nodded dumbly even though he wasn't sure what she was about to do.

Her other hand cradled around his head, fingers sliding through pink locks of hair. Natsu's nostrils flared at the sensation of her fingertips lightly probing along his scalp. Then there was a sudden chilling touch to his jaw, and Natsu recoiled back, only for Lucy's hand to stop him.

"Wha-?"

"Relax, it's just an ice pack," Lucy hummed. "I had to tell the guard I was into that sort of thing to get him to let me keep it."

Natsu huffed out a laugh as the coolness sank into his tender skin. It was almost painful, but he was grateful for the pack. Even if it was a little confusing she had pulled ice from her purse.

"Is it true?" he asked before he could stop himself, his grin going a little lopsided.

Lucy stilled as his words penetrated, and a dark blush worked over her cheeks. At first he didn't believe she would answer, but a slow smile began to light her face. It was coy, a little on the naughty side.

Suddenly Natsu's mouth felt very dry as she moved the pack from his jaw, down to the curve of his waist where a flower of bruises were beginning to form. This time Natsu _did_ gasp, an embarrassing twist of heat flaring to life in his gut.

Like a fight, it ignited his blood and left his body hungering for action. But on the same note, his skin felt alight, his senses open, and his body flushed. Heat crawled up the back of his throat and he wet his lips.

"Maybe..." Lucy's glossy lips pulled up at the corners, her eyes glimmering with a devilish glint that made her wholly _dangerous._ "Got a name, Salamander?"

Natsu's head rolled back onto the pillows, a hefty sigh escaping his chest. This again? Lucy certainly wasn't a girl who was used to being told no. She asked him at least once every time she came to visit him.

"You know I can't tell you that," Natsu replied, his voice low. "You're relentless, though."

"I prefer to think of myself as focused," Lucy corrected, her stubborn nose lifting in the air.

"Well, focused or not, it's not gonna get you far," he said, letting boredom seep into his voice.

She didn't reply, only slid the ice pack the tiniest bit lower. Natsu hissed, his pectoral muscles clenching deliciously. Despite the cold, he was getting more heated up by the second.

Damn, was he the pervert here?

Lucy's eyes were roaming over his body, but with slight surprise he noticed they were tinged with worry and confusion more than lust.

He watched her lick her lips, as if pondering whether or not she should speak.

"You're bruised," she finally said carefully, and he snorted shamelessly.

"Yeah, duh."

"No," she insisted, rolling her eyes, "I don't mean from your fight. Well, that too..." Her eyes were still fixed on his body, and Natsu began to realize what she was seeing.

Beneath the fresh, red and pink bruises his body had sustained today, there were a multitude more. Some yellowish, almost healed, others still a dark blue and violet. Scratches that were barely visible now, but not all gone.

Traces of Acnologia's two week private 'training'.

"Where'd you get all these?" she asked, voice almost a whisper as she reached out the hand that wasn't holding the ice pack and let her fingertips ghost over a faint green patch beside his bellybutton.

It didn't hurt anymore. On the contrary, her touch made him tense in an altogether different way. He bunched up the fabric around his hips, hoping his face wasn't giving him away. Her gentle, concerned touches were doing more to him than the naked bodies and lustful stares of all the other women ever had.

He could feel something like a flame bursting in his chest, spreading through his lungs over her careful press of fingers against the ridges of tender muscle. Natsu didn't normally react like this to people, and he wondered what it was about Lucy that made him react differently. She had asked him a question, and for a moment he contemplated on not answering.

But she was looking at him with such wide, worried eyes, he felt like he had no choice but to answer her questions for once.

"It was stupid," Natsu grumbled quietly, but Lucy's eyes sharpened on him, like an angry mother about to scold her child.

It meant that she cared.

"I got pissed, alright?" Natsu growled defensively, but not at her. Instead he directed his eyes away from Lucy, and the careful way she was sliding her pack from bruise to bruise. "There's this little girl that we got into our ring a couple of months ago. I was training her until the last tournament, but when I got back she was beaten up real bad."

Lucy stared at him with wide eyes, and he clenched his jaw. Natsu's stomach recoiled at the look on her face, filled with worry and concern and it was almost enough for him to swallow his tongue. However before he could look away and hold his silence, Lucy's hand reached around his head, cupping his cheek gently to turn him towards her.

Natsu's mouth fell open a little at the steel in her eyes, his heart crawling up into his throat in its confusion.

"What happened next?" she asked gently. So very, very gentle.

He caved with embarrassing ease.

"She had this long hair, it was in these pigtails with red ribbons." Natsu felt that familiar lick of rage coil in his chest like the embers of a flame whenever he thought of what Acnologia had done to Wendy. "She was so proud of them."

"So you picked a fight with whoever did that to her," Lucy filled in the blanks. It was clear she picked up on the implication of what had happened to Wendy's pigtails. That they no longer existed. "And got punished for it?"

Natsu shrugged, not finding it in him to confirm what she had already guessed.

But to his surprise, the hand on his cheek did not withdraw. Instead, she gently caressed her thumb along his cheekbone, painting small circles, her eyes drifting off into a world of her own.

When they refocused on him, she was smiling. "Thank you for protecting her," she whispered.

Natsu frowned.

"But I didn't," he objected, fists curling into the sheets. "I couldn't protect her, and I couldn't get revenge either! I couldn't even find the ribbons she - " Breaking off, Natsu angrily puffed the air out of his lungs.

"Hey," Lucy said, and the ferocity in her tone surprised him, just as her pulling his head closer with both her hands. Her eyes, that had burned with anger much like his own, softened, then, along with her voice. "You're already protecting and helping her more than you think. I'm sure simply having you by her side is the greatest thing you could give her."

Something about her statement unsettled him. It wasn't just that it hit right where she had intended it to, filling him with a warm sort of comfort, but it was her expression, her eyes. She looked like she _knew_.

Taken aback, Natsu blinked slowly.

Her hands dropped to her sides, and she sighed in a way that sounded almost pained, her forehead wrinkling.

Then, suddenly, her eyes lit up.

"You know what," she said excitedly, "I have an idea."

Lucy pulled up her dress.

"Wha-" Natsu's eyes shot down reflexively to where she had hiked up her gown around her thighs. His mouth went dry in confusion and despite being naked, he felt hot. "-t're you doing?"

She raised an eyebrow at him and made a face, yanking at something he couldn't see under her dress. Then, to his surprise, something came loose. Two silky blue ribbons came free in her hand, and when she smoothed down her dress, the gathers in her gown had come undone.

Natsu's eyes widened, his heart going still as she held them out to him. Fingers shaking, Natsu accepted the ribbons from her, hardly believing she had torn off pieces of her own, very expensive gown.

"They're not red..." Lucy's voice was apologetic. As if she were truly sorry she hadn't thought to wear a red dress today to rip apart. "But she can still tie her hair up into little pigtails if she wants?"

Natsu's heart finally began to beat again, the ribbons silky and smooth under his rough fingertips. He ran a cherishing thumb over the tiny scrap of fabric. To some, it could hardly be considered a gift. Clearly Lucy didn't see it as such.

But to Natsu it was something he hadn't had in a very long time. Someone treating him like he was some kind of equal. It was an insane thought, laughable. Here was some beautiful woman, who came from a rich family and even richer bloodline, talking to him like he was a person.

Wondering, not for the first time, what had brought this strange woman to him, Natsu curled his fingers around the precious ribbon and shook his head. "No, it's perfect. She'll love them."

He looked up at her warm brown eyes, some of the hardness in him melting under her happy smile. "Thank you."

He really had no other words than that.

Lucy nodded and curled her fingers into the edge of his scarf, Happy's tail swishing over it. His cat gave Lucy a studying look, before he lifted his butt off the edge to allow her to pull it free. Natsu would have been surprised, had Happy not taken a traitorous liking to her. Not that he really blamed his cat.

"Are you going to hide it in this again?" she asked, holding his scarf out to him.

He took it from her, carefully wrapping the ribbons up in the folds as he draped it around his neck.

"Yeah." He nodded, smiling at her brightly. He couldn't stop picturing Wendy's reaction.

Lucy returned the smile happily, her rosy cheeks lighting up.

"It's really important to you, isn't it?" she asked quietly, nodding towards the scarf resting on his shoulders. "You always have it with you."

His fingers ran over the worn fabric, soft under his fingertips and quilted in a strange scale-like pattern he had always loved. Stroking along the pattern, he nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"Yeah, it is." He breathed out through his nose and brought the scarf up to his mouth. He smiled into its folds, finding comfort in just wearing it. "It's the only thing I have left of my dad's."

Natsu watched Lucy's eyes widen, her mouth falling open in confusion. It was clear whatever thought she might have had, she wasn't expecting him to talk about his past. He didn't see the harm in it this time, especially considering how it was part of his past before he even set foot in the ring.

"Your dad's?" she repeated, her voice quiet in the large room. Lucy crawled over his legs, moving over her hips and sitting next to him.

Happy was wedged comfortably between their thighs, her arms brushing against Natsu's as she settled down.

He nodded, lifting one of the fraying ends to peek at.

"It was his lucky scarf. My dad never lost a fight he had to win so long as he wore it beforehand," Natsu murmured.

Except back then, so many years ago he could hardly even remember anymore, his dad hadn't worn it. Natsu had wanted to try it on, curling into his small bed with it wrapped securely around his small neck.

He felt a chill at the memory, and his fingers trembled into the fabric. Natsu squeezed his hand into a fist around the fabric to stop the shakes, breathing in deeply to calm himself. Lucy's small hand curled into the crook of his elbow, her thumb pressing into the muscle of his forearm in a small measure of comfort. Natsu couldn't help but marvel at how she quickly perceived his discomfort.

"Your dad is a fighter like you?" she asked, causing Natsu to nod back at her.

"Something like that."

Lucy bit her bottom lip, but nodded and looked away. He was a little surprised by how quickly she backed off. She clearly wanted to press him more about his father, and he couldn't blame her. It was something he had sprung up on her. He just didn't think she would back off as quickly as she had. Normally she pressed with a wink and smile.

This time though, he found himself opening up without her nudges.

"I used to think when I was first taken, my dad would come and find me," Natsu confessed. "I used to get so upset when the training got bad and he would never be there."

He'd even blamed his dad sometimes...

Natsu glanced down. "But as I got older, I began to understand how the ring worked. How the location changes, how it's rare the fighters even see the outside sky. The ring operates like a ghost. One moment it's here, the next it's gone with barely any trace it ever existed."

"He must have tried," Lucy said, her voice sounding unusually thick.

Natsu blinked, his nose twitching as he looked at her in surprise.

As he'd feared - and not expected in the least - her eyes were brimming with tears. She sniffed, turning her head to the side.

This time it was him who reached out, carefully, nudging her shoulder with his as his large hand covered hers.

Wordlessly, she melted into his side. "I'm _sure_ he tried," she repeated in a whisper, and he swallowed loudly when he felt her tears on his shoulder.

She was crying. For him.

He nodded, the multitude of contradicting emotions in his chest tightening it painfully, as if it was swelling and shrinking at the same time. "Lucy..." he mumbled, trailing off. "I wanna see him again."

To admit this out loud was more painful than he had expected.

He felt something in him tighten, around his throat. Like a constricting line was drawing around his neck, winding around in an attempt to suffocate him. He blinked, realizing too late how close he was to being torn apart by his own emotions. He gasped, understanding too late that Lucy had softened his walls and molded herself through his cracks so thoroughly in the short time he knew her, he was about to fly apart at the seams.

The endless battles, constant punishment, abuse, the distortion of reality - Natsu was so tired.

It was a weariness he felt down to his bones. Soaking deep into the marrow of his being and hollowing him out from the pointlessness of what he did.

And admitting that soft sentence out loud threatened to destroy him in that second. He was homesick. He had been for years - repressing it as he stayed in the moment, struggling each second for survival.

But here, with Lucy….he was allowed rest. Allowed seconds to think about what he missed and what he longed to return to. Natsu felt the rush, and a sweat of heat and cold breaking out over his skin as the room darkened around the corners of his vision.

He couldn't break down here, he wouldn't. Natsu _refused_ -

But he was saved, a second later when the spiraling stopped, halted by a tight pair of arms crushing him against a soft body in a warm embrace.

He breathed, unable to remember when he had stopped.

Lucy's head was buried in his chest, and Natsu stared ahead in numb shock as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself nearly into his lap. Slowly, as if his arms were unable to comprehend what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around her slim waist and dragged her closer. She felt so small in his arms, but the way she gripped him was anything but fragile. She held him tightly, unknowingly holding him together even as she cried on his chest.

His rough fingers found their way into the curve of her neck, sinking into blonde hair and curling his arm around her back. She was murmuring something into his skin, something he couldn't make out. But he thought he made out the words ' _I promise._ '

He didn't know if it was possible, but somehow he felt as if she had cried out every ounce of his pain.

For a while they remained there while she calmed, her breaths coming out in wet huffs against his collarbone. His thumb ran in small circles along her spine, feeling strangely comforted by holding her in his arms.

But eventually, he couldn't help but shift his hips where she was seated. He really hated to distract her from where she was so comfortably relaxed now after her good cry, but…

"Lucy, I'm not complaining or nothin', but you _do_ remember I'm naked under this sheet, right?"

He felt her freeze above him.

It seemed she was now finally realizing what he had been painfully aware of for the last torturously long seconds. Not only was he naked, with nothing but a thin sheet covering half his body, but Lucy herself wasn't exactly heavily clothed beneath her dress.

And Natsu had enjoyed her proximity, her warmth and softness.

Damn it, why could he just not help himself around her?!

This wasn't an exactly appropriate situation. She had just cried her heart out on his behalf after calming him down from a near panic attack, not to mention him opening up about his father.

And now he… seriously?

It was like he was a fourteen year old boy all over again. Except now, through some miracle, he had a beautiful woman he had feelings for posed directly over him. Perhaps the one woman in this place who wasn't interested in being with any of the fighters.

Not that he wasn't grateful for that, but his hands were currently occupied with keeping Lucy directly off his lap because he was honestly afraid of how she'd react to other parts of him stirring thanks to how close she was. The absolute last thing he wanted was for her to leave. He bit his bottom lip, his heart thumping at the way her hands came to rest on his shoulder, his on her waist.

Their eyes met, and Lucy's bit her bottom lip. Did he imagine it, but he was almost certain her eyes flashed down for one traitorous second. She licked her lips and glanced back at him, but seemed to freeze as realization crashed back down on her.

"Ohmygod," Lucy said in an alarmed rush, "Iamsosorry!"

With how quickly she pushed off him, Natsu halfway expected she might have broken the heel on one of her fancy shoes. She looked utterly mortified, as if _she_ had done something wrong.

"I didn't mean to climb all over you like that!" she apologized in one breath. "You must think the worst of me!"

Natsu looked like a beached fish, eyes large and mouth opening and closing almost rhythmically.

"Uh, um, no I-" he stammered, actually stammered, before clearing his throat. "Why are you apologizing?" he finished lamely, inching backwards and pushing the blanket down onto his thighs.

Lucy looked just as flustered, her eyes darting around the room with a confusing amount of relief. She tugged again at her earring, which she tended to do periodically.

Her cheeks were bright red and her eyes were down on her purse, looking a little embarrassed. Looking around desperately for some kind of distraction, her eyes fastened onto his scarf. She pointed at it and almost shrieked.

"Oh! Do you still have those cards?" she demanded in a rush.

Natsu stared at her blankly, before he dipped his hand into his scarf to withdraw the deck. A relieved smile flashed over his own face and he nodded. "Yeah! I even learned a new game."

Latching onto the clear thread for what it was, Lucy waited as Natsu explained the rules in a confused rush.

The game went along a little awkwardly, and more than once Natsu caught Lucy's gaze probing the area between his legs, always quickly snapping away whenever she noticed his attention.

It was a little amusing, really.

The one time Natsu's body actually did what was usually expected of it, it went to total one thing people paid for when they visited him seemed to be the one thing Lucy did not want.

Or, he mused, over the years he _had_ learned to notice when a woman liked what he did, or reacted to him in certain ways, and Lucy was kind of an open book in that way. No, it was something else… Something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

And so, for now, he was happy to push it to the back of his mind and simply enjoy her innocent company a little while longer.

After all, he had to cherish every second he could get.

* * *

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	13. Throw in the Towel

_**PLEASE READ!**_

Here's a short chapter our lovelies, but fear not, the next chapter is longer!

We've had some questions over why Lucy is biding her time and doing 'nothing,' at the moment she's trying to get Natsu to trust her and build a relationship. Why Lucy doesn't call the 'cops' to take down the ring, is because... she's not really at the ring? The organization that run the various rings don't operate out of where the fighters compete. So even if Lucy blows the whistle on one location, they'll just set up shop somewhere else if she doesn't get Zeref or the other ring masters. Wendy isn't at the ring Natsu is. The ring they fight at and the place they are being held are two SEPARATE places. Hope that answers that

Natsu is able to smuggle something like ribbons and cards in because they're non-metal, he gets searched for anything electronic or can be used as a weapon before he gets sent anywhere. Lucy can't give him a tracker.

Lucy is from old money, she does not survive off the money she makes as a reporter. Her family is wealthy and she's the sole heir.

* * *

CHAPTER 12

 _ **throw in the towel**_

 _When the chief second in a fighter's corner wants to stop the fight, he throws a towel into the ring._

* * *

Natsu grunted as he woke up in the middle of the night. Something unusual was happening just outside his cell.

His eyes widened and he jumped up to his feet, heart racing as he sprinted to the small window that served as a food slot. From his narrow field of vision, he was able to determine the men running around all had the Sabertooth symbols either on bandannas, t-shirts, or tattoos. He frowned, craning his neck to see what was going on.

Sabertooth had just arrived a day early since their members would be breaking down the old cells Tartaros and Phantom occupied to take their place for an internal tournament they were having right afterwards. But for them to be making so much noise…?

Closing his eyes, Natsu pressed his ear to the door slot, straining to hear what had thrown the entire ring into chaos. It seemed even Tartaros was going to lend Sabertooth aid, which was unusual considering they weren't exactly on friendly terms with one another.

But then he heard it.

It was a sound he knew all too well, having heard it a multitude of times. It made something curl in his gut with fear, and he hugged Happy to his chest protectively.

There was a horrible yowling, almost drowned out by a man's screams as he begged for them to stop.

The panicked screams were bad enough, but what made Natsu feel sick to the point he could taste bile at the back of his throat was what followed right after. Because the yowling stopped - but in that wet, sickening way, followed by a sticky crunch that had his stomach revolting. There was a horrified silence, and Natsu knew it was one felt by all of the imprisoned fighters down the hall.

Happy nudged up against Natsu's arm, his fur standing off in all directions, and he collected his feline between shaky hands. He trembled in rage and fear, hating those men for so callously snuffing out a life, disgusted that he was unable to do anything to even protect his own cat should they want to do the same to him.

One, two, three breaths passed.

A wail of agonized screaming that seemed to shake the very bars of Natsu's door tore through the halls. Hazily, Natsu realized he recognized that cry. He'd fought that opponent once in the previous set of bouts. The Light Twin Dragon. He was the one who had lost his cat, and Natsu couldn't help sympathize for him.

Then there was the panic.

Natsu waited, nervous and anxious, as something began to happen that he could not see. The sounds of a fight drifted over to him, and he almost strained his neck as he tried to catch a glance of what was going on. But he didn't really have to see. Part of him knew what was happening. Sometimes, they drove the fighters too far. Sometimes, they snapped. It was something he had never bore witness to. At the very edge of his vision, he saw the guards stop mid-step in their trek to stop the Twin Dragon. He didn't know which was more frightening, the chaos or the calm.

Because if he didn't know any better - then Sabertooth had just gotten a new Master.

Lucy wasn't sure if she could say she had fallen into a routine or not, because if it was one, it was certainly the strangest one. She would wake up, go to her job at the paper, check in and file her sources. Occasionally she would have to dodge Cana, who was too slick for her own good, and was convinced Lucy was sneaking off to see a man instead of doing her reporting duties.

She wasn't wrong. At least not entirely.

Then Lucy would spend the rest of the evening under Cancer's careful hand's as he spun her hair into elegant twists and braids, or sometimes styled it to hang down around her face. This time it was the latter as he steamed large, bouncy curls into her hair. She would then get dressed, picking out one of her more opulent gowns from when she used to attend her father's galas. Often he had Lucy attend once she was older to serve as a way of luring men into easier deals for him.

And for a while, she had played along. Lucy wanted to remain on his good side, so she could fund her own search for the Ring. While she was still allowed to do her own research, she had no problem with assisting her father on building onto the Heartfilia estate. Since her kidnapping, and her mother's own failing health afterwards, her father had become cold and distant.

She supposed eventually, he had no idea how to deal with a traumatized daughter, and instead hired her bodyguards as her babysitters and tenders.

It had been a while since she needed them, but they had become her close friends. Now every then and again she would call on their services for assistance.

This time she picked out a shorter dress, hoping she wouldn't have to run, but being prepared in case she did.

Or if she ended up on Salamander's lap again.

The thought made her blush, but she did not feel ashamed for wanting what she wanted. If she were being honest with herself, this job she had gotten herself involved in was becoming far more dangerous in ways she hadn't thought to anticipate.

Sometimes when Salamander flashed her one of those wide, happy smiles of his, she thought her heart would burst from her chest. Ever since they had that discussion about his father, there had been something different about the way he acted around her. Almost protective.

His eyes would linger on the guards after their time was up, a hard glint to them she didn't quite understand. She had a feeling he knew something she didn't by the way he looked at them. It made her nervous, like there was something he was trying to threaten them about, but couldn't actually say. Regardless, she was grateful for his strange way of looking out for her.

There were other times when he was so silly and excited just to learn a new cardgame or trick. The first time Lucy showed him a magic trick, his head nearly exploded when she showed him his correct card. He had spent the next forty minutes straight trying to duplicate the move. Every which one ended in absolute failure.

Spending time with Salamander was worth every penny, and he grew more comfortable with her at each visit. Sometimes when he was very tired after a match, Lucy would open her book and he'd drop right off to sleep right next to Happy. He would sleep for a good chunk of time, recovering in the bed and within the safety of the walls where no one would get to him. Once he even slept the whole time, jumping only when Lucy gently shook him awake before the guards came to get him.

He looked a little disappointed she hadn't woken him up sooner, and Lucy couldn't help but feel a bubble of pride that the fearsome Salamander of the underground ring liked to spend as much time with her as she did with him.

She began to get small pieces of information from him, things he didn't even realize he was giving her. After he spoke about the girl he protected, Wendy, Lucy dug into that, asking him questions on whether or not they had fun together or if she had learned anything new.

The moment he had let it slip she knew the same style he did, it had clenched their investigation. To find Wendy, they had go discover the Tartaros' headquarters. Gajeel wanted to pull her out after that moment, but the police had agreed to finish this tournament up to see if they could squeeze anything else out of Salamander.

Lucy knew if she wanted to find anything else about him, this would be her only opportunity. It was the last day of the second tournament, and any other attempts she made to contact Salamander would be without police back up.

She would continue to see him, with or without their help, but there was no doubt this was her last chance to try and find out who he was.

Brushing her hands along her dress to free it of any clinging lint, she got into her car and drove to the meet up spot with Gajeel.

Even when Lucy laid down next to Salamander, his face lax with sleep and expression drowsy, he refused to reveal his name to her. Instead he would roll over onto his opposite side, hike the blanket higher over his head and disappear further into his blankets.

This time though.

This time she would get somewhere with her search.

Whether he wanted her to or not.

She patted her purse, ensuring she had everything she needed tucked away. Anything that she could feasibly smuggle into the room without raising suspicions.

It was time for her to put a name to Salamander's face.

Gajeel's expression was clouded and dark when Lucy got wired up. Before she could take more than a couple of steps towards the door to Levy's van, she was stopped by his large hand wrapping around her arm.

She blinked at him, curious over the expression on his face. He looked torn, like he was struggling on the precipice of something. Patiently, she waited for him to voice what was bothering him, knowing that if she pushed he would pull away just as fast.

"Bunny girl," his voice, while holding a rough edge that was typical for him, seemed much softer than usual. Even his scarlet eyes were gentled, almost pitying. Gajeel looked sad. "Don't forget what we're here for. After tonight, you gotta be able to walk away."

She had to be able to leave Salamander behind. Never see him again until the day they brought the Ring down.

Indecision never even came to the forefront of her mind. What Gajeel was asking of her was impossible. It had been from the instant on she locked eyes with Salamander in that pool. Not when he was so close to her. Close enough to finally touch and hold after years of being separated.

It didn't matter that he didn't remember her. They were friends now, and he couldn't be left to sit in a pit for the rest of his life. Lucy would not allow it.

And if she could not get him out until they brought down this horrible organization, then she would go back in, again and again, until they could walk out together.

It seemed Gajeel saw this determination of hers, because he let his arm drop to his side in a gesture of resignation, brows pulling together as if he was suffering from a headache.

"Damn, Lucy," he mumbled. "What did you get yourself into?"

His gaze was far too knowing, and Lucy tried to ignore the way her guts twisted. He wasn't talking about the Ring now, and the implication of what he meant was something Lucy wasn't sure she was completely willing to face.

Because what did it mean for someone to fall in love with a doomed man?

Shaking her head, Lucy pulled away.

Her footsteps were clipped, her heart racing as she all but fled the Hackmobile, unable to face the devastated face of Levy or the grim one Gajeel wore. Her friends were worried for her and her obsession, but she couldn't leave him there.

Not when Salamander looked at her with a bright smile and a welcome laugh.

Not when he was already ( _finally,_ after all these years) beginning to heal, and she could slowly peel away the layers of bitterness and distrust and replace them with openness and joy. At least a little. As best as she could.

So with that in mind, and an apology to her friends already silent on her lips, Lucy went back in to see Salamander for the last time.

...until the next two months.

* * *

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	14. Brawler

Sorry this is a bit late, dears! We've all had busy weekends! But, the good news is that I am officially free for the summer; I've finished my junior year of college. Hopefully I can stay more on top of the updates now!

Looking forward to your thoughts on this chapter, ohoho...

* * *

 **rated** : _M (references to nsfw in this chapter)_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

 **Brawler**

 _An aggressive fighter who likes to fight on the inside_

* * *

Natsu snorted in amusement as his thumb dragged into the waistband of his shorts. After the day Lucy had gotten frighteningly close to him without pants on, she insisted on being the one to 'unwrap' him as part of his services.

So he got to keep his pants.

It made getting up and moving around the room about a hundred times easier, that was for sure.

Even though it _had_ been amusing to watch her blush and squirm all the time.

Happy was already sprawled over what had become his favorite pillow on the bed, his paws kneading into the cushion with a contented meow. Natsu had to say, he was a little happy about being able to keep his pants on for a change, even if meant sacrificing some time teasing Lucy.

Somehow, through some unusual means, the time spent with Lucy had become one of the highlights of his life. He found himself eager to get into the ring, to get his fight started and over with so he could see her. Never before had he been so determined to win, not even for the sake of his own life. The thought of Lucy had him tackling opponents he had no business facing. Like the man Aria of the Element Four. The man was clearly a heavyweight, about seven stones heavier than Natsu, and harder to hit than a tractor tire.

But there were no rules, and Phantom liked to cheat - even by the Ring's standards.

It had taken all of Natsu's speed and cunning to scrape out a win against that monster. Aria was a fan of bear hugs, crushing his opponents between his meaty arms so they were totally unable to fight. Natsu had barely managed to slip from his hold, and Lucy had told him on no uncertain terms, was he ever to give her another heart attack like that.

Natsu won though. And he refused to lose, not when the prize of victory was so much sweeter than anything else he had tasted in the Ring for some time. He couldn't help it.

On the rare instance Lucy was outbid or his time was double booked on his days off, Natsu's thoughts remained on her and her gentle, inflaming touches.

Today in his final match against Phantom, he had gotten a friendly reminder not to let his guard down in the ring against the Totomaru of the Element Four. He licked the blood off his lips, flinching when his tongue moved over the swelling part where his lip had been split.

Fresh blood kept oozing out of the wound, no matter how he tried to stop it.

Lucy would be upset about this.

As if on command, the door opened.

She walked in, her head held high and purse clutched between her hands. Natsu hummed at the sight of her, unable to stop himself from observing her body. His gaze swept along her, taking quick stock. Ever since those guards had talked about putting their filthy hands on her, Natsu's paranoia spiked nearly through the roof.

It was a relief when she arrived, her hands on her hips and a pout pulling her mouth down at the corners.

Her heels clicked against the smooth tile, her fingers already drawing to his hand. Natsu accepted it, grasping their fingers together in a wordless hold. He couldn't help but smile at her, happy despite himself that she had come again.

"How's your mouth?" Lucy asked, her concern asserting itself with an immediacy that no longer surprised Natsu. She stepped to him, one hand still in his while the other lifted to trace the corner of his mouth. Her thumb circled the swelling area, her brows furrowing in a sympathetic hiss.

Truth be told, it didn't even hurt that bad, but Natsu let her fuss.

"Let me help you with that," she murmured before dropping her hand and pulling him along to the bed.

They sat down on its edge, facing each other. Lucy opened her purse and produced a small, travel-sized pack of q-tips. Carefully picking one and bringing it closer to his mouth, she bit her lip in concentration.

"Sorry if I hurt you," she whispered, but Natsu was quite certain he'd barely feel a thing. Not with her face so dangerously close to his. "I can't bring any proper equipment," she apologized. "They wouldn't let me take anything. The ice pack was a stretch already, but at least I can say the q-tips are for my own use. Don't think they understand much about make-up."

He nodded impalpably, careful to not move his lips.

She gently touched the cotton tip against the wound, tracing along the sensitive skin of his lip to clean off the blood. Her mouth hung open as she worked, her breath coming flat.

His own mouth reflected hers as she gently pressed the tip into the cut on his lip, stemming some of the blood flow. He grunted when she applied a little more pressure, causing it to twinge in a flicker of pain. It was dulled by her proximity though, barely an ache he registered.

While she concentrated on the task set before her, Natsu's eyes fell downward, settling on her full lips and the soft breaths coming from the rise and fall of her chest. He couldn't stop his nervous swallow, his heart beating a traitorous, erratic tempo.

She stopped what she was doing, her hand lifting to his jaw, thumb resting lightly against the corner of his mouth. It was such a grazing touch, but it made Natsu shiver all the same. Her eyes lifted from his mouth up to his face, concern drawing over her face.

"Sorry," she whispered, "was it too rough?"

It took a moment for him to respond, but he tore his eyes off her lips and forced them upwards. In hindsight, that was not his cleverest idea. Her large, worried eyes pulled him right in, and he registered how she slowly lowered the hand holding the q-tip. A look that ignited a fire inside him cast over her face, her eyelids drooping.

Oh, shit.

"I…" he started, voice scratchy and hoarse. But his brain left him high and dry, eradicating every last word he desperately tried to come up with. Her breath was fanning across his lips.

She released a shaky breath, and instinctively, he licked his lips, not even remembering or feeling his wound. Had she moved closer? Her fingertips squeezed into his cheek as if she wanted to pull him against her, eyes locked onto his lips.

Whatever she wanted, he wanted it too. His fingers twitched, unable to even remember how they got where they were. His hand found purchase against her elbow, reveling in the softness of her skin against his rough palm. She didn't complain when his hand moved along her arm, flattening against her back.

Sharp ears caught the quiet gasp that fell between them, causing Natsu's heart to beat with fresh hot blood. They were close enough to breathe the same air, and he felt the graze of her long, curled hair against his chest and under his chin.

He wasn't sure who drew in first, only that their foreheads had come together, an ache blooming in his lungs that became almost unbearable. Her hands were light on his cheeks, painting soft circles with her fingertips, and Natsu felt all of his strength drain out of him, succumbing quickly to whatever spell she had cast over him.

And suddenly, she was gone.

One minute she'd been all but sprawled in his lap, the next she was across the room with her hand to her chest. Brown eyes wide, she stared at him with an expression of such shock that Natsu found himself swallowing nervously.

...Had he overstepped his boundaries? Made some sort of assumption?

Maybe he'd misunderstood, he acknowledged with a frown. Though he did have to wonder if there was any other way to interpret her body language and the sexual energy charging the air.

Lucy's cheeks were flushed as she waved a hand in front of her face. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm so sorry, I didn't… I can't believe I almost took advantage of you like that…" She sounded horrified with herself and more than a little embarrassed.

Taken advantage of him?

Natsu blinked, realizing it was _her_ who thought she had overstepped a line. Did she really think he'd been about to kiss her only out of a sense of duty, and not free will?

No, whatever it was he felt for her, it made him feel freer and happier than he ever had felt in the years of his imprisonment. This had been something else. He'd never felt like this before. This overwhelming urge to seal her lips with his, the spark in his belly and the lightheadedness - never had he felt such things in any kiss. And they hadn't even kissed at all.

The anticipation alone, the _almost_ , had been enough to drive him insane.

It had been better than any actual kiss that had been stolen from him.

Lucy was still standing, uncertainty in her eyes, and he noticed she was still clutching the q-tip in her hand like a lifeline. She didn't have to feel guilty about anything, and yet the look in her eyes told him that was exactly how she felt.

So he did his best to put her at ease. Grinning, forcing himself to ignore the atmosphere and this strange desire to taste her lips, Natsu shook his head. "I've had worse than a measly little kiss, I promise," he said.

But apparently, that wasn't the right thing to say.

Lucy's face fell, those plump lips turning down. Her hand tightened around the q-tip as if she were imagining horrible scenarios that she couldn't stomach.

"Uh, sorry, that came out wrong…" Natsu muttered after a little while, scratching the back of his neck. "What I _meant_ was some people just don't understand the difference between kissing and trying to eat someone. I once had this guy who almost bit my tongue off, y'know," he told her, hoping to lighten the mood.

Lucy's brow tightened in the strangest way before she snorted. And then quickly covered her nose.

"Oh, really?" she mused after a moment to collect herself.

The awkward tension had dissolved, the heat hanging low in the air was now gone, and both were able to smile freely. As if the almost-kiss had never happened. And while Natsu didn't want to pretend as though nothing had happened, he assumed that it was probably for the best.

"Yep." He nodded, running a hand along his jaw. "But the worst ones are the droolers… That's just gross."

Lucy giggled and Natsu's shoulders slumped with relief.

Her laugh, as he'd discovered in his time knowing her, was a precious sound that he couldn't help but covet. It was so pure and innocent, so fresh compared to the ugly laughs that he was used to hearing. It reminded him of spring and flowers and singing birds, everything that was beautiful in the world he'd barely explored for himself.

That sound was just as good as a kiss, he decided.

And if he couldn't have a kiss, then he would cherish and horde her every giggle and snort like it was gold. So he told her stories - the funny ones, though there were admittedly few.

But they were enough to make her eyes light up with humor, and her mouth twist. Every time she laughed, he couldn't help but grin.

Natsu was so engrossed in her, in fact, that he didn't even notice when she slipped the red-stained q-tip into her purse.

\- : : -

Zeref glared at the row of monitors in front of him, crossing his arms with a sense of finality. So that was it, he realized as he continued to stare.

How clever.

Beside him, the head of his security was growing restless. The stocky man was shifting from foot to foot anxiously, eyes darting between Zeref and the monitors in front of them. As though he knew that something was amiss but couldn't pinpoint just what.

Eventually, the man mustered up enough courage to stammer, "Master Zeref, Sir, is there something...wrong?"

Of course the simpleton hadn't even noticed.

Zeref closed his eyes and gestured to the monitors. "Tell me," he murmured, "what do you see? Anything out of the ordinary?"

The other man leaned closer, until he was nearly pressing his nose against the screens. He perused them carefully for a full five minutes before stepping back in exasperation. "No, Sir, I don't."

He would have to hire a new head of security, Zeref decided.

"And you wouldn't...because someone is looping our feed," he said in a low voice.

It was subtly done, but to the trained eye it might as well have been a beacon. Six of the seven cameras were looped perfectly, replaying the same five second clip over and over again with none the wiser. But the seventh… In the very corner of the seventh camera, a rat scurried into the shadows precisely every five seconds.

A rookie mistake.

"We have a hacker on our hands," Zeref told the security team, who all grew very, very quiet.

It seemed as if he would need to find a lonely brain among the crowd of idiots which surrounded him. He slid his fingers together as he waited for them to catch up to the realization he had already made.

Finally, a man with frosty white hair and glasses stepped forward, his expression neutral. "Sir, what course of action should we take? The next tournament location and invitations have already been sent out."

"Oh, we aren't going to cancel the next tournament," Zeref said, eyes squinting dangerously. "Quite the opposite."

"Sir?" the man spoke up, his brows furrowing together into a straight line.

He seemed uncertain of the wisdom in Zeref's plan to keep the tournament going strong. The master seemed almost intrigued by the prospect someone had been daring enough to try and infiltrate their ring.

"We'll keep the conditions exactly as they are," Zeref continued. "I want to see who was daring enough to sneak in here and think they could come out alive."

A faint smile pulled at his mouth, but his eyes almost seemed to take on an angry red light. They were focused on the last screen and the rat scurrying across the corner, faster than what a typical person would even notice.

"Bring me the footage from the past tournament and all our previous days." Zeref smiled. "Let's find out who our little spy is."

* * *

Sexual tension, yes? And Zeref's suspicions are confirmed!

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Next time! Chapter 14: Kidney Punch


	15. Kidney Punch

Oho! Updating on time for once. This is one of my favorite chapters. Beware: blood and gore ahead!

* * *

 **rated** : _M (blood and gore in this chapter)_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

 **Kidney Punch**

 _an illegal punch in the lower back_

* * *

Lucy twisted her hands nervously together, her heart hammering as she shut the door to her car. On the passenger side, there was a box of a dozen donuts, glazed to perfection. Gajeel would recognize the bribe a mile away.

And if that didn't work, she had a back up plan.

"Why did I have to take backseat to a bunch of donuts?" Levy grumbled when she unbuckled herself and climbed out of Lucy's car. She seemed to think better of her question and she glanced at the precinct. "Better yet, why did I have to come at all?"

Lucy just gave her friend a sly smile and winked at her. "I'm just buttering him up before I ask him for a favor."

Normally, the implication that she was being used to bribe Gajeel would have had Levy's face flaming a hundred different shades of red. But right now she wasn't rising to the bait Lucy was dangling in front of her. Her eyes were dark with worry, teeth biting at her lips in a nervous habit she had whenever she began to get worked up. It was one Lucy herself shared, probably from hanging around Levy too much.

"Lu...you already gave Gajeel the DNA sample you got from Salamander, he can't make the results come back any faster." Levy took the donuts from Lucy even despite her uncertainties.

"But maybe they came back today," Lucy insisted (just like she had the days before), locking her car as she walked off towards the police station. Levy followed, resigning to her fate.

They found him at his desk, for once.

It seemed he didn't need much introduction once he saw Levy approaching him with a box of donuts and Lucy lurking behind her.

"You can save your introductions, I already ran the test." Gajeel gave Lucy a dry look. "Bribery wasn't needed, Salamander is part of the case, all right? I put in a rush order when I sent in the sample."

He smirked at the shocked way Lucy's mouth dropped open, using the opportunity to sneak a hand into the box and swipe one of the pastries from Levy. "I love stereotypes sometimes."

Lucy leaned forward eagerly, her eyes wide as she spotted the file on his desk, reaching out for it instinctively. Too slow for Gajeel's quick hands, he snatched the file and held it just out of her reach. A huff of annoyance blew a lock of blonde hair from her face.

"We got a hit in the missings person's database," Gajeel said slowly, his explanation more agonizing than reading the file would have. "We've got a name."

There was something in the way Gajeel was frowning that had Lucy's shoulders tensing up. He was holding something close to the vest, something he didn't want to share. Lucy's reporter instincts flared, and she grabbed a chair that was situated on the side of his desk to sit down. Levy dropped herself right on top of Gajeel's desk, a donut snatched as her prize.

"If I tell you this name, you have to give this some space." Gajeel's grip tightened on the folder. "This is getting dangerous for you. Leave the rest to the police, Lucy."

She tensed further - first name basis never boded well.

Her grip tightened on the edge of the table, her eyes meeting Gajeel's fearsome gaze but not flinching away. Seeing he wasn't going to get a promise out of her one way or another, Gajeel breathed out through his nose.

"Natsu Dragneel," he answered, the words Lucy had craved for over fifteen years finally brought to light. "That's the brat's name."

"Natsu Dragneel," Lucy breathed those words out, testing them out on her tongue and imagining him in her mind's eye. The name matched the face, and her heart fluttered as she suddenly was that much closer to knowing who he was.

She swallowed, frowning a bit as the name 'Dragneel' sparked a memory somewhere buried deep down inside. Something her father had watched maybe?

"Where do I know that name from?" she asked out loud. "Dragneel…?"

Gajeel grunted, his fingers flicking open the folder and drawing out a few clippings of a newspaper. "His dad was a hotshot pro fighter. They called him the Fire Dragon King or somethin' like that."

Taking an article from him, Lucy lay eyes on Salamander's - Natsu's - father.

It was a photo that must have been taken right after a fight, with him in his gear and obviously spent, but even on the old picture the man seemed to burst with energy. She couldn't help the way the corners of her mouth pulled upwards. They had the same smile.

He had red hair, long and tied back in a low-hanging pony tail. His hair wasn't as wild as his son's, but he showed that same boundless energy that seemed to jump right off the page. They looked alike, the same sharp eyes, the same smile, and defined jaws. Igneel looked like a professional fighter, but held none of that hardness that seemed to set into the fighters in the Ring.

Igneel looked like he enjoyed his sport, practicing his art. From the article she was shown, it looked like he was a champion, having won higher levels more than once.

Lucy flipped through the clippings, her eyes stilling on a single image that made her heart burn like a smoking coal. Igneel's head, thrown back in laughter and his arm stretched out at his side - and balancing on his father's arm was Natsu.

Lucy's breath caught, her thumb lightly tracing the yellow paper, looking at how proud they both looked. Natsu sat on his dad's arm, who lifted him into the air with ease, while the little boy held a huge championship belt over his head. His face was split from cheek to cheek in a brilliant smile and the belt looked larger than his entire body as he struggled to lift it over his head.

They looked so happy.

But then Gajeel's earlier words penetrated, and Lucy felt that warmth in her chest fade into something icier.

 _His dad was a hotshot._

The past tense was not wasted on Lucy, and her eyes shot up to Gajeel's face, who was looking away. No doubt he was wrapped up in his own thoughts, remembering when he had gotten out.

"Gajeel," Lucy's voice was hoarse, "please tell me you mean he retired when you say he _was_ a professional fighter."

Gajeel startled slightly, turning his head towards her. He didn't have to answer.

Lucy swallowed, her tongue feeling thick and dry in her mouth. When she nodded, it was barely noticeable. Natsu's father, the man he had so proudly told her about, whom he had talked about with so much passion and longing… he was dead.

"How long?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. She desperately tried to keep her voice steady. But she couldn't help picturing Natsu's happy face crumbling, the last of his hope and drive snuffed out.

"Fifteen years," he answered reluctantly, avoiding her eyes. The file lay safely in his lap, and he showed no signs of handing it to her.

"Are you saying…oh god," she breathed as the pieces fell into place. "They took Natsu, and killed his father."

Grimly, Gajeel nodded. "Which is exactly why from now on, you stay out of this."

"I want to see the file."

"No."

Lucy sucked in a breath and released it through clenched teeth. "Why not?"

There was something he was not telling her, and from the look on his face, it was nothing good. Lucy's stomach clenched uncomfortably. But she needed to know.

"Please, Gajeel," she asked, her expression gentle.

Gajeel's eyes flashed towards her, his face unyielding. Normally by now he would have caved to her request, but it seemed this time he was holding firm in his decision. Lucy's stomach flopped uncomfortably.

She was not above begging. Lucy had made Natsu a promise the day she cried into his chest, even though she was certain he hadn't heard her muffled declaration through her tears. But she swore she would reunite Igneel and Natsu by any means necessary.

To find out Igneel was dead - it seemed like there was something working against that vow. She knew now there was no way she'd be able to keep good on her promise to Salamand - _Natsu_ , but at the very least she could try to find out the whole story on what happened.

She was saved from begging when Levy slipped the file from between Gajeel's fingers while his full attention was on her.

"Levy! Don't open that!" Gajeel swore, his eyes growing wide with panic as he stood up to try and snatch the file back.

She side stepped him with ease, file already partially opened and her quick eyes finding the information he had tried to keep secret.

But her face was already losing color and her grip on the file went lax.

"Oh my god..." She looked sick, her chest heaving even as Gajeel grabbed it back. Her hands flew up to her mouth, breathing through her fingers in a wet rush. Her gaze flicked to Lucy, and she knew with a sinking suspicion that whatever Levy had seen was beyond description.

"Let me see, Gajeel." Lucy grit her teeth, this time leaving no room for argument.

Still, he hesitated.

"Let her see," Levy agreed, but her eyes moved to Lucy pleadingly. "I know you wanna see, but… you won't like it. Are you _sure_?"

Lucy simply nodded. Her friends' behaviour was making her uneasier by the second, and she felt almost nauseous as she reached out for the file Gajeel reluctantly extended.

Swallowing hard, and ignoring the urge to shake herself once from head to toe, Lucy opened it.

And almost recoiled.

She hadn't gotten to decipher a single word; her eyes, wide in horror, fixed right on the photo greeting her in the center of the first page.

There was so much blood.

This picture contradicted so much with the ones she had seen only moments ago that it made her want to cry. The happy, carefree man that had carried his son on his arm lay crumpled and twisted on the ground, his contagious grin forever gone, his eyes empty.

Lucy's eyes moved over the crime scene, unwilling to linger anywhere too long. Her spit tasted metallic. It took her a moment to notice between all the bloodshed, but when her eyes fixed on a bloody, unnatural _something_ that attracted her attention before she knew why, Lucy realized she was looking at an arm.

It lay a few feet away, behind his shoulder, and Lucy bit down on her tongue to not gag.

She was no police officer, her eyes not used to seeing such unspeakable horrors.

Her gaze darted back to his shoulder, but she ripped her eyes away from the picture when she noticed the mutilated, frayed flesh that was visible between torn shreds of fabric. Even to her untrained eye, it was clear that this had not been a clean cut.

Closing her eyes for a moment, and hoping they wouldn't see, she tried to collect herself and turned the page. Her eyes flitted over the text, fists clenching at her sides with every word she read.

Igneel Dragneel, a master of secret dragonslaying arts, had been found in two pieces.

"Do you get it?" Gajeel said once Lucy was done looking over the file. It seemed he had not been fooled by her carefully composed mask.

Her sickness was plain on her face for him to see. She had known there was something unusual about this file from the start. But this, she had had no way of predicting.

"Igneel wasn't just a pro fighter, he was top class!" Gajeel smacked his fist against his desk for emphasis. His expression became hooded with memories, his sharp teeth grinding down into his molars. "The same thing happened to Metalicana. And I only found out after I got out!"

Lucy's stomach rolled as she realized just why Gajeel, who was normally so tight-lipped about his past, would bring up his own father now. In the years they had known one another, he had only mentioned Metalicana a handful of times. And they had been brief.

Metalicana was a master in his own rights.

Gajeel had found out about his own father a couple of years ago. Except his father had been shot, his body moved to the side of the road to be put on display.

"See, my old man goin' down the way he did makes sense. Single shot from the back, it was an execution," Gajeel's voice was hard, but shook with a burn Lucy could see ached him to his core. He pushed through it, "But whoever took on Igneel did it for the fun. For the challenge. They did it for sport."

And to make a clear warning to anyone looking into the ring. Lucy shivered, her hand coming up to her right arm, stroking it from the shoulder down to the top of her right hand.

"Who would do something like that?" Lucy breathed, her voice sounding ragged even to her ears.

Gajeel shook his head.

"I only remember rumors of a guy from back then. An enforcer that worked in the Tartaros ring that was said to have a penchant for tearing people apart." Gajeel looked like someone had stepped over his grave. "It was the only time I was ever grateful I was in Phantom."

Lucy swallowed, focusing her entire turmoil and rage into the next question. "Who is he?"

"They called him Acnologia."

* * *

Dun, dun, dunnn... More drama unfolds.

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Next time! Chapter 15: Bob and Weave


	16. Bob and Weave

Ahhhh everyone's reactions to the last chapter gives us life (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑ Now for something a little more...sweet to counteract that sudden burst of darkness from last chapter. A smol shower of gajevy and nalu fluff.

* * *

 **rated** : _M  
_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

 **Bob and Weave**

 _rapid bodily movements up and down and from side to side_

* * *

A month and a half later, Levy found herself standing in front of an unfamiliar building

She glanced around herself for the millionth time, pulling her jacket up around her neck. Her eyes flashed down the street, as if searching for a tail before she jogged up the steps to a modest looking condo and rapped sharply on the heavy door.

Levy was dropping by unannounced, and really she knew better than to do that considering _who_ she was visiting.

Paranoia ran deep after all.

Heavy steps came from within the walls and Levy fidgeted nervously when there was a pause before the sound of a deadbolt sliding loose scraped across the thick oak. The peephole had clearly been used, and Levy stepped away when the door opened.

Gajeel stood there, towering over her still in his work clothes. He had ditched his tie, his shirt partially opened, clinging together by two buttons near his waist and his wild hair let down from the queue he normally kept it contained in while at work.

"Shorty?" he asked, looking at her in surprise. Standing in front of his place and looking like a criminal about to turn herself in.

Which in some ways, Levy was.

She was a genius hacker, and had found her way into Gajeel's personal files more than once. An act which had once previously infuriated him, especially when she would flash her innocent little smile whenever he threatened to arrest her for snooping. It seemed Lucy had hired her to put her up to the task.

Sometimes she still did it just to tease him, leaving him messages in his computer by changing the tag line of his email.

 _Best and Regards,_

 _Detective Gajeel Redfox_

 _MPD - Vice_

 _Don't forget, Pantherlily has an appointment for the vet at noon tomorrow. XO_

Now she was looking up at him, her expression wary and concerned. "Can I come in?"

He shrugged. "Sure," he mumbled then, seeming somewhat embarrassed, and quickly turned around.

She followed him into the small flat, curious eyes inspecting what she found.

The furnishing was spartanic at best, leaving everything bare to the eye. Little room to hide.

In general, Levy got the impression this place was more of a temporary stay than an actual home, as if he was ready to pack and leave whenever.

The flat had so much potential, she noted with a pout, already imagining what she could do to it. Only when her mind started painting a scenario of her serving breakfast to Gajeel did she snap out of her daydream, blushing furiously.

"And what's gotten into you?" Gajeel asked, eyeing her critically.

"Oh, um, nothing," Levy stammered. "Anyways, won't you offer me a seat, or something to drink? Manners, Gajeel," she reminded, wagging her finger at him.

The tall man seemed taken aback as she stared up at him, and complied promptly - albeit not in exactly the way she had hoped for.

"Sit," he grumbled, pointing his index finger at the sofa in front of her before trampling off into the kitchen.

Levy sat down with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at his back.

What a brute he was!

Still, she supposed she should thank the small amount of manners Lucy had somehow managed to cram into his thick skull. Not that they seemed to last.

At the reminder of her friend, Levy's expression fell, and by the time Gajeel returned, he stopped mid-stride.

He glanced down at the cup of water in his hand, a scowl deepening between his brows as he dropped it down on the table in front of Levy. His large frame sank down beside her, causing Levy to bounce just an inch into the air by the shift of his weight. "That face of yours tells me I'm gonna need somethin' a little stronger than water for this conversation."

Guiltily, Levy shifted her weight when she looked up at him. Even seated, he was so much taller than her, and Levy tucked her legs up underneath her body.

"You could say that," she admitted, her hands fidgeting.

"What's the matter, Levy?" Gajeel's voice was soft, softer than normal.

"I'm massively breaking friend-code right now," was all that Levy said as she reached for the cup of water. Her grip on it was white-knuckled as she took a slow sip. "Promise me you won't be too mad?" she asked hesitantly.

Gajeel's gruff face turned to stone. "What happened? Are you in trouble?"

His large body was suddenly rigid and stiff as if he was barely holding himself back from springing into action.

He was always like that, assuming the worst and thinking she'd somehow gotten herself into a mess again. And while it was almost never the case, the fact that he always - without fail - volunteered to bail her out made her feel at ease. Like if all else failed, she had at least one person by her side.

Even now, it put a small smile on her face.

"Nothing's happened. Not yet, anyway, and it's not me who's going to be in trouble," Levy said slowly, side-eyeing Gajeel as he relaxed next to her, "but someone we both know is going to do something really risky. And soon."

 _Really risky_ was an understatement if there ever was one.

It took Gajeel a moment, his studded brows furrowing as he tapped his finger rhythmically against the lip of his glass. But, his detective skills refused to fail him. The tapping grew slower and slower still...until it came to a complete stop. He'd put the small pieces together and his spine was rigid.

He closed his eyes. "Lucy," he muttered.

Of course it was Lucy. That wasn't even a real question.

He rubbed a hand down across his eyes and over the bridge of his nose. His fingertips smoothed over the metal ridges of the studs buried in his skin, each one a reminder of the potential danger the Ring posed.

"She didn't give up on the Ring, did she?" Gajeel swore. In all honesty, he hadn't thought she would. But it had been a few weeks since she brought it up and Gajeel held onto the vain hope that seeing those photos of Igneel might have shaken her resolve.

What a hilarious thought.

Nothing could shake Lucy's resolve.

If walking into the Ring itself and seeing fighters both young and old pummel one another nearly to death hadn't, nothing short of death would stop her. And what was worse, Gajeel couldn't blame her. He was becoming increasingly worried that her persistence really would result in her - and Levy's by extension - death.

He knew what Levy was asking of him. Lucy wasn't going to be stopped, and short of actually arresting her for a crime she hadn't committed, there was nothing he could do to stop her. Gajeel shook his head, knowing there was no real choice.

Lucy would need his help, even if she would never ask for it.

"I'll be there," Gajeel assured Levy.

Her small hand slipped into his, squeezing around his rough palm in such a way it made his heart flutter. Such a tiny woman had a way of knocking him flat on his back in more ways than any middle or heavyweight fighter ever had.

"Thank you…" she whispered.

Her slender shoulders slumped as the muscles in her back unknotted themselves, allowing her to sink into his couch. Chances were, she was probably unaware of the fact that she'd been wound tighter than a spring since setting foot through his front door. But even as Levy relaxed little by little, the worry-line denting her small forehead stayed.

And that was when Gajeel noticed his traitorous thumb stroking the back of her hand.

 _Shit._

He dropped her hand like it was a hot coal, startling her. "I'll put together a two-man team," he muttered around a forced cough and scooted away so that their thighs weren't pasted together. "We'll keep an eye on her from a distance so she'll never know. And we'll keep her safe, I promise."

Levy swallowed, staring at him with those big eyes. Then she nodded.

"Thank you, Gajeel," she repeated.

The amount of relief in her voice, the way she looked at him - as though he were some sort of saint - it made his gut twist. She made his heart trip with so little effort it was embarrassing.

But she was a ray of light. One of the few he had the privilege to gaze upon with familiarity. She - along with a select few - illuminated his dark world, chased away the monsters in the shadows, and expected nothing in return.

He would move earth itself to protect those rays of light.

Gajeel looked down at his own hands, studying the callouses and scars. The tips of his ears burned as he muttered, "Don't mention it. Anytime ya need somethin'...don't be afraid to ask. I'll always be there to help you out, y'know…"

When Levy didn't say anything right away, he swallowed sharply. Wanted to gather those words right back up and eat them, pretend he'd never said them.

But, then a small laugh met his ears and he stopped.

Glancing over, he spied Levy's bright smile, her eyes golden and warm. "I know," she said.

\- : : -

Days later, the third tournament started in earnest. Natsu was once more selected for another round of combat. He was heartier than others, so he often found himself in the rotation. Still, it was a little odd he hadn't been given a break. He wasn't going to complain about it, though. His heart was already thumping in excitement.

What was even stranger was Natsu's eagerness to be picked. He would fight hundreds of rounds if it meant getting to see Lucy.

For some reason Zeref had opted to oversee this tournament personally, which made Natsu a little nervous. He was like a vulture eyeing his prey whenever he showed up anywhere.

But not even his overbearing presence was enough to squash Natsu's mood. The first day had come and gone already and Lucy had lost out against a lady for the slot of his first day.

Of course that put a bit of a damper on his mood and affected his...performance. His imaginings used to be enough to see him through to the end of his "customers'" visits but now that he'd very nearly had a real taste of Lucy...even his thoughts weren't enough. It felt so wrong - more so than usual - to touch another woman. To hear her husky cries in his ear and feel her heels digging into the small of his back.

Disgusting, even.

The lady was still serviced, of course, but Natsu didn't miss the dissatisfied twist of her lips as she left.

No doubt he would be chastised for that later.

But that didn't bother him in the slightest. The thought of seeing Lucy again outweighed practically any punishment that could be bestowed upon him. And while that should have worried him - once upon a time, it would have - Natsu, quite frankly, didn't give a damn.

Lucy had done something to him. She'd...changed him somehow, though she probably didn't realize.

And she hadn't done much of anything besides treat him like a fellow human being. But there was just something about her that...made Natsu feel alive again. Like there was something worth living for in this hell on earth.

Like he was weightless.

And so, on his second day - a rest day, leaving his wounds a little healed and his body less aching - when it was indeed Lucy who walked into the room, he found himself grinning like a fool.

To his delight, her expression was nothing short of elated.

"Hey," she breathed, eyes alight.

"Hey," he answered, the word leaving him in a relieved sigh. He stood up off the bed he'd been sitting on, striding towards her with two quick steps and a grin blooming on his face - and before he knew what he was doing, he'd taken her into his arms.

Her body remained soft, yet motionless due to her surprise. Slowly, she began moving, lifting her arms to wrap them around him. Her head moved against his shoulder, and he could hear her exhale as her body melted into his.

He hadn't been aware how much he'd started to miss her, how much her absence pained him.

The hug did not last nearly as long as he wished for, but the faint blush coating her cheeks was enough to satisfy him when he pulled back.

"So," she started, clearing her throat, "you fought well. Yesterday."

"Thanks," he replied, lips quirking in amusement at her bashfulness.

Her blood was very blue, that much was obvious, not used to someone holding onto her with a typical sense of propriety. He closed his eyes as his cheek pressed into her hair, nosing his way into her blond hair and taking in her comforting scent. As usual, something about it tugged at him, reminded him of something warm on a familiar level.

His heart ached in strange ways when she was with him, but it absolutely burned in the worst way when she wasn't present. Now, he could feel himself be happy, a giddy sort of feeling he chased without shame.

He was also afraid, that fear clouding around just at the edge of his happiness. Natsu's grip on Lucy tightened. He was afraid what would happen if she stopped coming around - even though he knew it was for the best. She had shown him a brief slice of light in endless gray. Lucy had broken the cycle he existed in.

Perhaps he wasn't living - not really, but she had given him a taste of what it might be like. Natsu was floating so high up, he was afraid when she withdrew, he would fall.

And smash into a thousand, irreparable pieces.

That was a fate he gladly accepted if it meant Lucy remained safe. If any of the others found out about her, found out about his feelings for her -

His chest constricted and he pulled away from Lucy, leaning forward to press his forehead against hers. Her brown eyes were soft on his, warm in ways that still were foreign to him. Lucy's selflessness would be weaponized. Something as pure and sweet as her, in the hands of Zeref could only end up in her death.

Natsu hated that he couldn't let go.

"My friend liked the ribbons, and she wanted me to tell you thank you," Natsu's voice dropped between them, barely a whisper.

Lucy smiled. It was a sweet, happy little smile that lit up her eyes and made her entire face glow.

"I'm glad," she said, her arms sliding along his back and to his arms, where she squeezed lightly.

For a moment, they simply smiled at each other, drinking in each other's presence. Then, Lucy stepped back, leaving his arms empty.

The room was a little smaller than the last, but the bed just as big as ever. She sat down on its edge, kicking off her heels with a low groan.

"Damn things," she muttered as she inspected the red streaks left behind on her skin. "What I'd pay for comfortable heels that won't make you feel like you just stepped onto a million legos."

Natsu eyed the monstrous things skeptically. He wasn't sure how she walked on those _at all_.

Plopping down beside her, he stretched his arms over his head.

His yawn was contagious, and as he cranked one eye open he caught her holding a hand in front of her face to hide a hearty one of her own.

"You tired?" he asked her, a very tempting idea making itself at home in his mind. He wondered…

She nodded, rubbing at her eyes before remembering she wore carefully applied make-up. Her fingers were a little smudged when she pulled her hands back, and she eyed them with a pout.

"Just a little..." Lucy looked reluctant to admit even that much, and Natsu wondered what it was Lucy did that kept her up all night.

He sat upright, even though his body protested moving even an inch away from the soft comforter under him.

"What were you doing that stopped you from getting a good night of rest, Lucy?" he asked, already knowing she wouldn't answer his question.

Aside from her name, he didn't know much about her. She was just as secretive about herself as he was about his name. But every time he posed a question, she would shoot back with one of her own until they both just gave up.

"Such a personal question," Lucy teased back with a smile, one Natsu found himself reflecting. He knew the steps of this game they danced around already. Although the way she smiled and her eyes flashed to his felt different - as if she knew the answer to the question she was about to not-so-subtly ask. "Shouldn't two people know one another's names before they ask about their night time activities?"

Natsu snorted at her question, even while Lucy dropped down next to him.

She didn't even bother to wait for him to answer, because she correctly assumed he wouldn't. Instead, Lucy turned over on her side, and they both shuffled around on the covers until they were laying across it properly and facing one another.

"Want to sleep for a little while?" Natsu asked her, his cheeks flushing traitorously, his voice quavering at how he wanted to broach this subject.

His lips felt unnaturally dry, and he licked them nervously as he waited for an answer.

"Me?" Lucy asked, blinking. As if the thought had never occurred to her. Maybe that was why she was so damn tired. "I mean… I could, couldn't I?"

Natsu nodded, careful not to overdo it in his eagerness. She wriggled a little, testing the sheets beneath her as if she felt them for the first time. Natsu swallowed as he watched her.

Well, it was now or never, wasn't it?

"Would it…" he started, his throat terribly scratchy and his voice a little raw. "Can I, uh… hold you?"

Lucy froze in the middle of her blanket inspection, blinking at him dumbly as a small wildfire spread across her cheeks.

"Just a little!" he was quick to add, spluttering as he felt his own cheeks heat up. Oh, no. This wasn't going as he had planned. He was on the brink of rolling himself off the bed in his embarrassment when Lucy tentatively lifted an arm, and gently placed it on his waist.

She could've as well punched him, judging from the impact the soft touch had on Natsu.

He had been punched in the face and pummeled by plenty of opponents, but nothing could convince him to get up onto his feet with Lucy's slim arm draped across him. It was more effective in dropping Natsu than any baton, taser, fist, or kick.

Hesitant, his eyes fell to her face as if hoping for a way to understand what she was doing, but felt his heart make a mad escape out his throat at the way she smiled at him. Golden hair spilled over a lush pillow, and Natsu thought his face was about to burst into flame.

He had swallowed fire before, touched it, blown it out, and manipulated it to the extent a person could. But this was something hotter than anything he had ever tried to master. This was something he had no way of controlling.

Natsu didn't care.

Relaxing, he reached under them to tug the covers out and draped them over their bodies. Lucy's smile grew shy, and Natsu's heart fluttered happily.

They weren't even doing anything remotely scandalous and Natsu already thought he was about to explode. His arm came around her waist, slipping under her arm with his hand resting between her shoulderblades. He was almost afraid to touch her, his fingertips ghosting over her bare back the dress left exposed.

"I'm not made of glass," Lucy chided with a gentle smile.

But she was. She was like glass-spun silk compared to his rough hands, whose purpose was only meant to break and destroy.

A light weight on his feet pulled him back to reality, and the rhythmic padding of small feet, along with a low, content purr, told them Happy had decided to join in on their little nest. He felt the cat curl himself into a ball at the side of his calf, his paws never interrupting their work.

He would sell his soul to remain in this moment forever.

Lucy sighed contently, her half-lidded eyes still fixed on his face. But he could tell she was struggling to keep them open at all.

"Sleep," he murmured, a lopsided smile stretching across his face.

"Mhmm," she answered, eyelids fluttering lazily, her fingertips grazing lightly along his back.

Natsu stayed awake just long enough for Lucy to fall into a deep sleep. He didn't resist the pull of sleep tugging at his senses and pulled him down into its warm embrace. He relaxed into the sheets, for once blindingly happy and content with his life.

He was so happy, so at ease - he never heard the guards moving down the hallway. A cluster of them gathered further along the corridor, flanking their master.

Zeref was on the move.

* * *

Fluff! And danger, just around the corner (literally)...

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Next time! Chapter 16: Queer Street


	17. Queer Street

Okay, ya'll had a sweet, fluffy chapter to ease the pain. The reprieve is over and now the suffering shall commence... I hope you're ready...

* * *

 **rated** : _M (violence and language)_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

 **Queer Street**

 _a colloquial term referring to a person being in some sort of difficulty_

* * *

Sleep loosened its hold on Lucy when a sudden _bang!_ exploded in her ear. She jolted upright, her heart racing as she looked around her, trying to see what had fallen over in the room to make that noise. She was still drowsy from her impromptu nap, and she could see Salamander, Natsu, slowly opening his eyes with clear reluctance. His hand slid down from her back, resting at her hip.

She almost smiled at the sight of his tired eyes raising to meet hers, a lazy pout on his face as if to say 'come back to bed.'

At least she would have, had there not been another sudden _bang!_ in her ear. It wasn't coming from inside the room.

No, it was coming from her earpiece.

Lucy straightened up, her spine going stiff as she heard the connection fizzle out for a second before snapping back on. Her hand flew up to her earring just as Lucy heard Levy's voice crack out clearly.

" _Lucy, you have to get out of there!"_ The panic in Levy's voice was so poignant, it took root in Lucy's chest. " _They found me and are trying to get into the van! If they do when you're still in there, they'll find out who you ar-"_

There was another bang, louder than the last, almost like something had knocked the metal doors of the Hackmobile inward. It was a crappy van, but it had those large heavy doors that swung outwards from the back to make loading it easier and more secure. For them to break in…

Levy let out a frightened scream. " _Lu, there's no time!"_

There was a mad scramble as she could practically imagine Levy's small frame standing up to try and rip out wires from monitors and computers. Unfamiliar voices snarled over the receiver and the sound of Levy crying out in sudden pain was enough to send a stone plummeting into her stomach.

"Oh my god." Lucy felt the color drain from her face, pooling somewhere useless, like her feet. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe, not when the sounds of Levy's faint groaning rang like a bell in the background of angry, stomping feet.

"Lucy?" Natsu's voice came out thick, his eyes no doubt scanning Lucy's bloodless face. She felt like a ghost and probably looked like one too. "What's the matter?"

She couldn't even hear him, sliding off the bed in a rush and running towards the door, hiking up her dress enough around her legs to make easy strides. She completely ignored her heels, dismissing them in the urgency of the situation.

"Lucy!" Natsu was sitting up now, his expression growing alarmed and wary at the sudden shift in her mood.

Her wild tugging at the heavy door was probably not helping matters. She whipped around, her back pressing against the metal door as Natsu stood up.

He was extending a hand to her, but approaching slowly like she was a spooked animal, and she almost had to laugh at the gentleness in which he was approaching. Their lives were on the verge of collapse, and he was focused on trying to get her to calm down.

Tears welled in her eyes, hating herself and her foolish endeavor if only for the fact she dragged Levy into her wild adventure. She would have done the same thing a hundred times again if it meant seeing Natsu.

But _Levy..._

"I'm so sorry," she apologized to him, "I did something stupid."

He froze, hand in midair and eyes growing wide.

"What did you do?" he asked, seemingly unable to wrap his mind around what was going on.

Lucy just took her head, blinking away her tears. It seemed now, if any time, was the proper one for the truth.

"I-"

"Lucy, what did you do?" Natsu stressed, taking a few steps closer to her. His hands settled on the sides of her arms, his eyes imploring her to answer the question.

Before she could choke out a response though, a crackle in her earpiece opened up into a new line.

Then, a new voice spoke into her ear. She recognized this voice. It was one she had heard fifteen years ago, if matured with time.

" _Ah, Ms. Lucy Heartfilia - I wasn't expecting you to be our culprit."_

"Where's Levy?" Lucy demanded, her voice shaking with emotion. "What have you done to her?"

"Levy?" Natsu asked, confused by the sudden accusations and the sheer panic Lucy seemed to have succumbed to. "I promise I didn't do anything!"

But Lucy was staring right through him, a hand moving over her heart as she swallowed loudly.

She was scared out of her wits, and Natsu had no idea what was going on.

But he knew whatever it was, it was bad.

Her head snapped around, eyes searching the room desperately.

"Lucy," he tried again, "are you okay? What's going on?"

"I'm sorry," she only repeated, and he watched in horror as her eyes filled up with tears and her whole body slumped. As if she was admitting defeat to something, an enemy he did not know and had no means of fighting.

And that was when he heard the footsteps. Many of them, hasty, outside in the corridor. Voices bellowed low commands; boots trampled along the ground.

Lucy gasped, and he noticed she was trembling when she instinctively grabbed his arm for support. Her fingers dug into his bicep almost violently, nothing like her usually so soft and careful touches.

It was beginning to dawn on Natsu that whatever it was she had done, it had to do with the Ring. With Zeref.

His eyes widened at the realization, and his silent question was answered with one look at her dishevelled form and her panicked eyes.

And then, before he could muster another word, they were inside the room.

It all went too fast to process.

He remembered shoving Lucy behind himself, growling at the men who invaded their safe space. They couldn't have her. No one could have her. And if he had to kill every last one with his bare hands, he would do it without a second thought.

And he would have, if only he'd gotten the chance.

But they were too many, over half a dozen at least, and more waiting behind the door. All of them armed. He went down before he knew it, trying to struggle back up but relentlessly beat down by steel boots.

It was Lucy's scream that gave him the strength to drag himself out the way and back up for just long enough to see them grabbing her, shoving a bag over her head that muffled her cries.

He grit his teeth, growling wildly, blind panic and fear driving him on as he slammed one guard into the wall and bit another's arm. And then he froze.

The man right behind Lucy as grinning at him as he pressed the barrel of a gun against her temple, effectively turning Natsu to stone.

"And now we'll all behave," he sneered, nodding towards his underlings in what was a signal for them to advance. This time, when they grabbed Natsu, he did not react, eyes wide and breathing coming flat. He kept his eyes trained on the gun, terrified that any second, if he so chose, the guard could end Lucy's life as if it meant nothing.

He was completely helpless.

They tied his hands behind his back, and he watched the do the same with Lucy, not even daring to hiss or growl. This paralyzing fear he felt was all too familiar: he'd felt it every time they had taken Happy from him, had taunted him with the cat held up by his tail as they tossed him around before they had disappeared - leaving Natsu all alone.

 _It's all up to you, brat. Behave, and maybe your friend will live._

The words had been pounded into his mind so many times, he found himself working like a wind-up doll in the familiar scenario. It was all up to him.

But for how long?

He knew, this time they wouldn't return her to him like a pet. They wouldn't let her go.

His nostrils flared, body trembling in contained rage and desperation.

He couldn't even see her face, concealed behind a dirty rag he knew smelled like rotten fish. Maybe it was better this way - who knew what he'd do if he saw her face, caught her terrified gaze and saw the tears on her cheeks. No, maybe, for once, this bag was a blessing.

She had to live.

Every second he bought was a second of utmost value.

A low, drawn-out sigh coming from the door attracted his attention. Slowly, not to startle anyone or prompt any actions, he turned his head towards the voice he only knew all too well.

Zeref stood in the doorway, his posture calm and lax. As if he hadn't just organized a sting operation on his _beloved younger brother._ His dark eyes were cool as he perused Natsu, the corner of his lip twitching...in almost a smile.

Natsu fought down the growl in his throat.

"I should have known," Zeref said in a soft voice. "I knew you were...changing. Becoming defiant and resistant, protecting the weak, and still you somehow remained whole. Intact. Even after your training sessions with Acnologia. I had my suspicions..." He looked down at his hands, slender fingers fiddling with some sort of contraption. "But now I understand completely," he mused and turned to pin the barely-breathing Lucy with a cold look.

Murder shone in his eyes.

And that was when Natsu realized what Zeref was holding - a headset. It was snapped in two, as though it had been yanked from its owner and smashed in a fit of controlled rage.

From the look on Zeref's face, it wasn't hard to deduce where the matching earpiece to the headset was.

 _Lucy._

Natsu's stomach sank, fear turning his blood cold and slow. What had she done?

But, when Zeref took a step towards her, hand outstretched, Natsu jerked against the hands that held him still. And he decided that it didn't matter what she'd done - she was his friend.

Side-eyeing him, Zeref dropped a hand onto Lucy's shoulder, effectively startling her. She jumped, breath hitching, and he snorted. "Welcome back to the Ring," he told her.

"Where's Levy?" Lucy demanded again, voice shaky but filled with anger.

"If you don't understand that you're not in a position to demand answers then I'm surprised how you even made it this far," Zeref murmured close to her ear, and Natsu went stockstill when he lifted his hand, sliding it beneath the bag.

It seemed he was searching for something, and Natsu quickly realized what it was.

Lucy squirmed visibly, but had no chance of backing away even an inch.

Zeref frowned a little, before his eyes flashed victoriously. He jerked his hand back with more force than necessary, and the scream that left Lucy turned into a pained wail right after. The metallic tang of blood permeated the air just seconds later.

Natsu wasn't sure how much longer he could stand here doing nothing. Every last part of him was roaring in uncontrollable rage, his body trembling so much he thought his veins might pop.

Zeref eyed the earring in his hand with disdain.

"Clever little girl," he whispered, voice grave. "You're just as much trouble as ever."

Natsu very well heard the remarks Zeref had been dropping about some kind of former acquaintance, but in his state of mind he couldn't really afford to give it any thought. His entire being was focused on being alert - and not punching someone's face in.

Without another word, Zeref turned around and walked out the door. Apparently this was the guards' cue to start moving too.

"You're fucking dead," someone gloatingly whispered into his ear. "I bet he's gonna kill you and your little bitch."

Natsu fixed him with a death glare that was enough to freeze the other's grin for a moment, but then it spread even further. Elbowing him into his side so hard Natsu gasped for breath, the man walked off, leaving him to be the last to be dragged out of the room.

* * *

Boom!

We had a question as to how long this fic is going to be. The answer is: we're not sure yet! We've just about 30 planned out but there are definitely going to be more. We'll let you know when we have a more definite idea.

Also! Yesterday happened to be Snogfairy's birthday! Feel free to drop any birthday wishes in her Tumblr inbox or here in a review if you'd like.

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Next time! Chapter 17: Bare-Knuckling


	18. Bare-Knuckling

Our two faves are in a bit of a pickle, eh? Wonder how they'll get out of this one (or if they even will...hmm...)

* * *

 **rated** : _M (heavy violence and blood)_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

 **Bare-Knuckling**

 _two individuals fighting without boxing gloves or other padding on their hands, closely related to ancient combat sports_

* * *

He was dragged outside in time to see a man throwing Lucy to her knees, gripping her neck roughly as he tore off the bag around her head.

Her eyes were wild with fear, disoriented as they desperately flicked along the constricting brick walls on either side. Sticky strands of her usually so tidy and perfect hair fell into her face and clung to her temples, and what little was left of her hairdo was cruelly destroyed when the man behind her gripped her hair and yanked it sharply upwards. She wailed in surprise, hands trying to fly up and relieve the pain but they remained firmly bound behind her back. A trickle of blood from her torn right ear bled right into her beautiful dress, ruining it.

The man grunted and smacked her in the face, the sound of his hand connecting with her cheek so loud it reached even Natsu. Near Natsu's knees, Happy hissed in anger. He growled furiously, trying to rip himself free for the hundredth time.

And then he saw Zeref.

And, more importantly, the gun in his hand.

 _No._

He stood right in front of Lucy, hands hanging loosely by his sides. He didn't look angry or upset… no, the expression displayed on his face was… bored exasperation.

"I'm astounded," he spoke, in such a tone that it was barely above a whisper. He lifted a hand when Natsu opened his mouth, his gaze on Lucy alone. "I've been watching you this whole time, you must have known you would run into me eventually. Why would you risk coming back here?"

Natsu's eyes flashed to Lucy, whose face was twisted, her shoulders raised to try to relieve the pressure on her scalp. Her chest heaved with frantic breaths, eyes squeezed shut but cracking open to glare up at Zeref.

She was pale, deathly pale, but the way she glared at Zeref - it was with an expression of recognition.

"I had to," she struggled out, her thrashing weak compared to the hold on her. "I promised."

"Promised…" Zeref turned the word over, as if saying it for the first time. He fixed Lucy with a cold look before turning it on Natsu. "Promises are easily formed and easily broken. It's impossible to fully and completely keep a promise, you know. Look where you are now," he told the both of them.

Lucy stayed silent, anger burning in her eyes.

"Though I do admit that you're tenacious. Not many people would risk their own lives to return here," Zeref murmured almost approvingly. It seemed as though he could appreciate Lucy's sense of duty. "You grew up. So smart...and yet so foolish at the same time."

Natsu watched the one-sided exchange with no small amount of confusion.

The way Zeref spoke...it was as if he _knew_ Lucy. But Natsu knew that to be impossible, because Zeref never would have let her live.

And yet...something tickled the back of his mind. A memory, perhaps.

"I wonder," murmured Zeref as he pressed the gun to Lucy's temple, "how much your father would have paid for the return of your body?"

The alleyway full of people fell entirely silent, and the ominous _click_ that echoed all around them as Zeref unlocked his gun felt all the louder.

"No," Natsu breathed, his voice rising to an angry snarl. "No!"

Ever the gentleman, and with the penchant for dramatic effect that he'd always possessed, Zeref did not simply shoot her.

No, he had the gall to smile at her.

"Any last words, Miss Heartfilia?"

Natsu froze. Something inside him, knowledge deeply buried and stacked away, reared its head with an urgency that had him see stars. Heartfilia? His vision blurred around the edges, but he saw Lucy turning her head towards him nonetheless, focusing his entire energy on her alone.

She looked so brave. As if she had accepted death.

 _No._

"Thank you, Natsu," she said, trying to keep her voice steady despite the trembling.

A sharp pain shot through him at the mention of his name, as if his heart had been pierced by a fiery blade that was now burning him up from the inside out. Her words resonated in his mind, repeating themselves over and over with an odd familiarity that drove him insane, growing louder and louder and louder until he thought his head might burst. There was something he had to _remember_. It was important.

And then he did.

In that moment, his entire world cracked, shattering around him in a mess that made _perfect_ sense. He didn't know how she knew his name. He didn't care, either.

But he remembered hers, now. The one by which they'd called her. Her last name.

It was her. _Of course_ it was her.

He found himself unable to speak, but the look on his face must have given him away.

"I told you I'd come back." Lucy - _his_ Lucy, the scared little girl from years ago, the girl he'd saved, the girl who'd come back for him - fixed her watery eyes on him, and _smiled_. "I'm sorry I'm late. I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry I made you wait so long. I'm-" Her voice broke, and tears started spilling over her cheeks as a sob shook her body. "I'm sorry it was for nothing!"

Natsu was numb, his chest growing tighter with her every word.

She was apologizing to him, on her knees and about to be executed, and she cared more about him than she did for herself. Those tears in her eyes were for him, not for her inevitable demise. Her wobbly smile, an attempt at reassurance, was all for _him_...pleading with him to understand and forgive her.

As if she'd done something wrong.

But she hadn't - Lucy was blameless. Her only crime was being his friend.

Natsu's already shattered heart splintered further into miniscule fractions, the unfairness of it all clawing up his throat. A flame was simmering in his belly, his mangled heart thundering in his ears, and it dawned on Natsu that he was struggling against the two men who were forcing him on his knees.

Though his hands were tied behind his back and the men were pushing down on his shoulders, Natsu threw them off with ease.

He shouldn't have been able to, he knew that, and yet he didn't give it a second thought. Instead, he opened his bloodied mouth and released a bellowing roar so loud that everything else seemed to fall into deafening silence.

Zeref, still poised with the gun to Lucy's golden head, blinked in shock.

Natsu felt the ugly, murderous look on his face. But before he could charge, those two men were back on him - grabbing his arms, punching his sides and back, kicking at his calves. Anything to get Natsu back onto his knees again. But Natsu stubbornly refused to go down. Even when one of the men smacked him clean across the face so sharply that Natsu's vision grew spotty.

No, Natsu growled to himself, they weren't going to touch her.

Lucy was going to live. He was going to save her...just like he had before.

"Natsu!" her voice called to him, cutting through the chaos like a sharp blade.

He found her watery brown gaze again, blinking the blood out of his eye, and the raw emotion he saw there filled him with strength. Hope. There was no mistaking the shard of hope Lucy was clutching onto as she watched him eagerly.

And that hope was enough. With strength Natsu hadn't known he possessed, he tore free of the hands gripping all over him, screaming in rage as he threw his entire body forward even as his hands were still bound behind his back. Zeref was too surprised to react in time.

Natsu collided right into him, tackling him to the ground with a wild roar.

He felt Zeref's arm twist beneath him, and the gun slipped from his hand and fell onto the asphalt.

They both hissed as the air was driven from their lungs.

He'd made it. He'd stopped him.

But before he knew it the men were back, encircling the pair and boxing and kicking at Natsu before they ripped him off Zeref.

Natsu's arms strained against the rope. He had to get free, or he was dead. And he couldn't die, because he had to protect Lucy. He wasn't going to let her light die.

The veins in his arms bulged as he pulled...and snapped the rope that circled his wrists.

He heard the incredulous gasps and shouts of the men attacking him, but he didn't give them time to react much further. With another hoarse scream, Natsu eblowed the one to his left and grabbed the face of the man on his right.

One suffered from the blow to his gut while Natsu slammed the other into the ground.

His skull met the concrete with a dull _thud_. In the heat of battle, Natsu being thirsty for blood, the noise pleased him.

It always happened like this.

The fighting and the bloodlust consumed him until he was nothing more than a killing machine - hell-bent on destroying his targets by any means necessary. It wasn't natural, that feeling, and Natsu loathed it when he came back to his senses. He wasn't natural, he was a monster, and it was all Zeref's fault.

It was all Zeref's fault...and Zeref almost had killed Lucy.

The one good thing in Natsu's life. His light, his hope. They wanted to take it away from him again.

No.

He wouldn't let them; he'd kill them first.

Natsu's bruised hands tightened on his enemy's face as he picked it up and brought it back down. This time the noise was a sickening _crack_ that made him shiver with anticipation. The man in his grip started to scream and howl and Natsu delivered a quick chop to his throat to silence him.

He wasn't allowed to cry - he didn't even know the beginning of pain.

Hands landed on Natsu's shoulders again, tearing him away, and Natsu struck out blindly. He reached behind him, flipping his other opponent over his shoulder.

The second man flopped to the ground hard, a groaning mess.

Natsu was hurting - his face was swelling and his wrists burned from the rope and he'd done something to his left leg - but that didn't stop him from ruthlessly attacking again. He delivered a flurry of hard kicks to both men writhing on the ground, relishing in their yelps, and when that wasn't enough Natsu resorted to using his fists.

He hit wherever he could, wherever would hurt the most.

The cold irony of the situation almost made him pause and think about what he was doing, but Natsu shook off the feeling. This was nothing they hadn't done to him before...they _deserved_ this -

And that was when he heard the crack of gunfire.

Panic flared in Natsu's chest - _Lucy, no_ \- and he whirled around. His heart was in his throat as he searched for those beautiful brown eyes. He'd been stupid, so _stupid_. Getting caught up in revenge for his years of abuse instead of focusing on rescuing her…

But, to his surprise, Lucy was perfectly fine.

Still kneeling on the dirty ground, her mouth was parted on a silent scream and her eyes brimmed with more tears. She wasn't hurt.

But Zeref was standing behind her, eyes turning nearly red with rage as he cradled his side with one hand. In his other hand was the shiny gun he'd aimed...directly at Natsu.

And with a pained gasp, Natsu realized that _he_ was the one who'd been shot.

Glancing down, Natsu spotted the blossoming red stain on his side. That was when the agony cut through the adrenaline, and his vision went blurry for a moment. He was barely aware of the cold sensation spreading through his chest as he fell to his side, gravel slicing into his cheek. Natsu couldn't help but vocalize his pain with a small scream.

"I didn't want to do that," came Zeref's growl. "You made me. That's your own damn fault."

"You shot him!" Lucy snarled then, her voice filled with rage. "No! Don't touch him. I'm right here, shoot me!" There was no fear, only anger. "That's what you want, isn't it? _Shoot me._ "

No, what was she doing?

Natsu turned his face to the side, prepared to yell at her. But Zeref wasn't even looking at her anymore - his dark eyes met Natsu's.

As Lucy continued to loudly protest in the background, straining against her own bindings, Zeref's black boots came closer and closer into Natsu's focus. The Master of Tartaros walked with calm, measured steps as he cocked his gun once more. As if the thought of murder didn't even faze him.

And, to be honest, it probably didn't.

That grim thought weighed heavily on Natsu's mind as a heel dug itself into his back. It pushed him further into the ground, putting pressure on all of his wounds.

Natsu hissed.

The door burst open, signaling the approach of two more bulky guards, having been attracted by the sound of gunfire. But Zeref never missed a beat, grinding his heel into Natsu's spine.

He and Lucy were both dead. This time there was no getting around it. The world was hazy, even as fire continued to burn through his gut. _He had to get up!_

The thought was so powerful even in his staggered state with blood pumping from his side and under Zeref's crushing heel, he forced every crying muscle to fight him. It was hard to see past the red fog of blood sticking his bangs to his forehead. Everything was red, blackening quickly around the edges of his vision.

Lucy screamed again, but this time not even the sound of her voice was able to give him enough strength to get to his feet.

Zeref's eyes were on him, like pitch black tunnels staring back at him. There was no sympathy there, only disappointment.

"I had such high hopes Natsu," Zeref's voice was tight, hope still clinging to him. "Turn away from this hopeless resistance. Take your place in the ring like you were meant to, all this pain - all this suffering will go away."

Natsu's glare was murderous, his chest heaving past the pain clogging his lungs. Take his place in the ring? Look the other way as they abused and dragged fighters through hell? Let him kill Lucy?

"What the fuck happened to you to make you this way?" Natsu spat at Zeref, lifting himself up onto a single knee.

In a rare flare of temper, Zeref lashed out, sinking his foot into Natsu's bloody side and throwing him off balance. His scream choked off into a wet gurgle

Groaning, Natsu's arms curled down, elbows instinctively trying to protect his bruised ribs. Zeref wiped his bottom lip free of the blood from where Natsu had nailed him earlier.

"Hold him," Zeref snapped at his new guards, "and make sure he stays down this time!"

Natsu's eyes widened just a hint, Zeref's unshakable calm shattered in an eerie showing. The man's chest heaved, not at all from the fight he had with Natsu, but from whatever Natsu _said_ to set him off.

"I'm, as usual, doing you a favor, Natsu." Zeref stormed around, this time to Lucy. The gun glinted in his hand.

Zeref took a second to adjust his tie, pulling back on the slide of the gun to ensure it was working properly after its fall.

"Women will inevitably cause you more pain than you can ever realize," Zeref spoke, in such a threatening and quiet way, it was almost like he wasn't even there.

Natsu struggled again, but he was lacking the strength to push off the new men who had come at the sound of the fighting. Every ounce of his ability to fight was pumping out his side with every beat of his heart. And these guards were fresh and angry, their friends still lying motionless on the ground.

" _No!"_ Natsu screamed, Zeref's back turned towards him.

Lucy was lifting her chin at him, defiance pooling in her angry glare. The gun was trained between her eyes, her bound hands twisting in angry fists.

Natsu couldn't watch, but he owed it to Lucy to witness this. His own hopelessness weighed down on him, crashing into him like thousand bounds.

A gunshot went off, Natsu's heart choking in his throat. He closed his eyes, his head flinching up at the sky. It was like he couldn't breathe, the cold stone dropping deep into his gut and crushing into all his organs.

But a new voice tore through the silence, one Natsu hadn't heard in five years.

" _Drop the gun and step away from the girl, Spriggan, or the next one goes in your head!"_

* * *

The cavalry arrives! Let's just hope they can get to everyone in time...

 **Thanks for reviewing:** _lifeisjustchess, Tabasco-Devil, AVMfreak96, Guest, Jinx, Guest, WolveNeko, Lulu Heartfilia, Guest, Shidake, Otaku4ever731, Min-chan17, Avengerika, Animefun17, annep872, allie flavored, Snavej, celestial-galaxy, Brannasaurus Rex, BloodRedRubies, JeslynBoo, CelestialFairy27, Celestial War101, sleepinginblues, Phiafairy, HappyH, TheSilverCookieMonster, Fairytail-FMA-fan, misssbehavin, swallowmysoul, sthokatrina, notsudrogneel, A Beauty that's a Beast, grace evans13, TOASTER101, owlcity2013, godessbeauty 101, Mo0nyMoon, Crysteldragon, RunningWithTheRiptide, mushi0131, Etrinity, Gir276, FireDragonPhia, MehKitty, LovingmyOTP's, Twishadowhunter, FlameDragonHime, Fairy Rains, SilverHeat, duskbird, Ryuu91, o0vicarious-living0o_

Next time! Chapter 18: Saved by the Bell


	19. Saved by the Bell

Thank you so much for all the incredible feedback for the last chapter! We received so many heartfelt reviews that absolutely blew us away. Just wow. It's awesome to know that people are taking the rime to really sit down and analyze this story and point out specific parts that they liked. Wow! Thank you! We hope you enjoy this chapter!

It's very fitting with all the gajevy we've been getting in canon for the past couple weeks *sobs*

We're diving back into Gajeel's head for a bit. Hold onto your butts! And we hope you enjoy the parallels and the angst...

* * *

 **rated** : _M (heavy violence, language, and blood)_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 **Saved by the Bell**

 _when a round ends, saving a hurt fighter that was on the verge of being knocked out_

* * *

Something was not right at all.

Gajeel straightened his holster as he neared the Hackmobile. Levy hadn't answered his regular check-up call. And even if she had complained that every ten minutes was stretching it, he knew she wouldn't unnecessarily worry him.

And with the people they were dealing with, worrying him was not a good idea. Levy was the one who'd come to him for help - so she knew better than to keep him waiting. If she had a heart attack when he came knocking, it would serve her right for scaring him out of his mind.

He crept closer to the van, his natural caution flaring to life when he heard how unnaturally quiet it was. His caution went out the window, however, when he rounded the vehicle and noticed the smashed doors thrown open wildly.

Pulling his gun, Gajeel sprinted the last few steps - and pointed it at nothing.

The back of the van was completely empty.

All that was left behind was a mess of trashed equipment and evidence of an obvious struggle.

"Fuck!" he hissed as his blood ran cold. "Fuck fuck fuck!"

How had this happened in just under twenty minutes? Panic was squeezing at Gajeel's heart, making it hard for him to breathe, much less think. How many times had he stayed up at night, thinking this very thing could happen? The ring had taken most of his life, as well as the things he considered precious to him. It took every ounce of his academy training and Erza's rigorous lessons for him to remember where he was and what to do.

He reached for his phone, punching Juvia's number without looking and holding his phone up to his ear. Gajeel kept his gun up, his eyes skating around his surroundings.

His partner picked up on the first ring.

"We've been made," Gajeel growled without introduction.

Juvia gasped sharply over the receiver.

This was an unsanctioned operation, so it was just him and Juvia. His captain had told him not to pursue the case any further until they could take the next steps with Major Crimes, but that didn't mean he was going to leave the girls on their own. Their vigilante crime was going to get them killed, and now Gajeel was certain he had a reason to worry. When he explained the situation to his partner, Juvia agreed to help him without question.

Now Levy was in serious trouble, which meant Lucy was too.

"Juvia is looking at the cameras in the nearby area." The sound of tapping from Juvia's laptop in her car six blocks down reached him over the phone. "There is movement on the west side of the building, Juvia will meet you there," she said urgently.

That was close.

Gajeel hung up without a word of goodbye, cramming it back into his pocket and sprinting where Juvia directed him. He had gotten halfway there when he heard the dull thumps of meaty fists hitting flesh, keen senses picking up soft whimpers.

He turned the corner, freezing at the sight which greeted him.

Three men were gathered around Levy's small frame, a nail buried deep in the palm of her left hand. Tears trickled down her cheeks and Gajeel felt something burn, crackling in the back of his head when he realized she was partially crucified to the tree digging into her back.

Her shirt was ripped open down the center, long strings of cuts and slices along her abdomen in a symbol that burned into the back of his mind. _Phantom_.

The men laughed between them, ignoring Levy's quiet pleas for them to stop. Her sweet face was bruised and battered, even as she bravely tried to tug her right hand away from the grasp of the man lifting it up to the tree to join her left.

They were making her into an example.

Almost without even realizing, Gajeel's weapon rose to shoot the man holding Levy's hand in the arm. The man dropped with a scream, but Gajeel stalked forward. Red fury enveloped his senses like a haze, twisting his face into a mask of predatory rage. The gun shook in his hands, even as the gathered men whipped around towards Gajeel to draw their weapons.

"Wait- is that Black Steel?" one whispered, recognizing Gajeel's face faster than the other three.

"No...no way," stammered the second as he struggled to yank his own gun from the back of his jeans. His whole body was trembling, face ashen. "You're supposed to be dead - "

Gajeel fired.

The bullet whizzed through the air, sinking into the man's thigh, and he went down howling.

To the one standing, the sight of his comrades rolling around on the ground and the smell of gunpowder and blood were enough to finally startle him into action. He trained his gun on Gajeel with shaky aim, eyes wild with fear as he backed frantically out of close range. The way he assumed that distance would keep him safer...was almost childish.

Quickly, methodically, Gajeel pumped two lead rounds into him. His shoulder and hip - incredibly painful, and nearly impossible to run away.

The two others, however, had stood back up and didn't waste their time. They fired. But their aim was skewed by their pained trembling and the bullets met dirt and brick. One came insanely close to skimming Levy's calf and Gajeel's nostrils flared.

They'd made her suffer enough.

He stalked forward, gun steady and true, menace rolling off of him in waves. Again, the two from Phantom fired - and, again, they both missed. Gajeel clipped them both in under thirty seconds, nailing one dangerously close to his groin. Both toppled to the ground, losing their weapons, and their hoarse screams filled the dusty air.

It wasn't enough to satisfy Gajeel's bloodlust, but it would have to do for now he told himself. Levy was more important than wasting his time on -

And that was when he noticed the bloodied pocket knife laying on the ground next to one of the writhing bodies.

Its owner, having been shot in the thigh _twice_ , was too busy holding his wounds and panicking to notice the knife. But Gajeel saw it, saw the blood on it...and his mind went blank.

The next thing he knew, he was on top of the man, gun clattering to the ground. Gajeel sunk his fist into the thug's gut, relishing in his choking gasps. But it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. He delivered a well-aimed blow to the man's side and felt the fragile bones crack under the pressure of his iron-like knuckles.

Two broken ribs.

Still not enough.

The man was shrieking his pain, flailing helplessly. Begging, even, with bloody lips. But his pleas fell on deaf ears as Gajeel coldly and calculatingly located his gun again.

He held the man's arm against the ground, pressing the muzzle of his weapon into the sweaty, bloody palm...and fired point-blank.

It would hurt a lot more than a nail.

But, then again, he deserved a lot more than a nail through his hand.

And yet, Levy's pained whimpers echoed endlessly in Gajeel's ears. The sound tore out his heart, made him want to be sick. And it filled him with anger - an anger so strong and potent, the kind that he hadn't felt in a very long time.

So he gave in.

He pummeled the man beneath him with hard, vicious fists. There was no other room for thought besides pain...Gajeel wanted to inflict _pain_. And lots of it. He enjoyed the man's screaming and his pleads for mercy.

He could lose himself in this, Gajeel realized. But at this point...he didn't give a fuck. All that mattered...was that this bastard had laid his hands on Levy. Sweet, innocent Levy...who brought him donuts and coffee and smiled at him when others wouldn't. Levy, who'd come to him for help, trusted him to keep her safe, and he hadn't been able to do anything.

His ray of sunshine.

And he'd failed her.

When hands landed on Gajeel's shoulders, he threw them off with a snarl that was so animal-like he almost shocked himself. When they came back, pulling and tugging with persistence, a voice came with them.

"Gajeel! Gajeel, let go of him!"

Juvia. His partner.

Like a wave of cold water, her presence washed over him. Dousing his rage and bringing him back to sanity. Her small hands pushed on his shoulders again and this time, he let her move him.

Because when he glanced down, the man underneath him wasn't moving. He'd stopped screaming and begging.

The silence was deafening.

Juvia lifted Gajeel to his feet with no small amount of effort, huffing. Her blue eyes were big and wide as she took in his appearance, filling with concern as she blinked at his large hands smothered in sticky red. But, when she looked back up at him, she didn't say anything.

Instead, she cleared her throat. "Juvia has apprehended the suspects," she murmured, nodding to the other two men behind her.

They were still lying on the ground, their hands pulled behind their backs and cuffed. They were wounded and bleeding...but they were alive. And that was more than they could say for the third man who'd owned the pocket knife.

Juvia knelt by the man, who resembled a pile of ground beef, and inspected him carefully. "He's breathing," she announced after a long moment. "But barely. He will need medical treatment."

 _Thank god._

Gajeel swallowed, muttering his thanks in a grave voice, before turning to Levy. He hadn't gone back on his word and become a killer again - the close call, though, made Gajeel's blood run cold. Because if left alone...he _would_ have killed that man.

And that was the last shit Levy needed to see.

She was slumped against the the brick wall now and wrapped in Juvia's jacket. Juvia must have freed, moved, _and_ checked on her, and Gajeel knew he'd have to thank his partner for that later.

Levy's eyes were hazy, barely tracking over Gajeel as he approached her carefully. She had suffered a blow to the head at some point and it seemed she was having a hard time focusing on him. Levy reached out for him, heedless of the blood coating his hands and splattered on his shirt.

Gajeel took her hand in his, so small and battered. Her fingers twisted in his, squeezing with an urgency she tried to convey to him. He was surprised she even had the strength to do that considering the torture she had gone through.

Still, even witnessing the carnage that just unfolded in front of her, Levy looked unafraid. Distantly, he could hear Juvia behind him, speaking with dispatch to get a unit over along with an ambulance.

She opened her mouth, whispering something so quietly he had to lean in to catch.

"L-Lu is still in there..." Levy's eyes were swollen from tears, trying to portray the intensity of their situation.

Gajeel's heart stopped as he remembered she was around as well. Swearing, he jolted back up to his feet and grabbed at his discarded gun. He shouldered it, straightening out to give Levy a firm look.

"I'll find her."

This time he would keep his promise.

"Go!" Juvia was already busy tying the thugs to the tree Levy had been nailed to. "Juvia will bring Levy and the van around to meet you!"

Not needing another word of permission, and grateful his partner still had faith in him despite his slip, Gajeel took off. Who knew if he would even be in time? It had been so long, and he had lost track of time when he was beating on that thug for hurting Levy.

If he did make it in time, it would take a miracle.

And Gajeel didn't believe in fucking fairy tales.

But he wasn't going to let Lucy die in some gutter. Not while he was still alive.

\- : : -

" _Drop the gun and step away from the girl, Spriggan, or the next one goes in your head!"_

Natsu's eyes were wide at the sight of a looming figure standing at the mouth of the alleyway. He was familiar, and as he stepped into the light he realized why: it was a face from a fight five years ago.

And he was supposed to be dead.

"Black Steel," Natsu breathed, thinking for sure he was hallucinating. The mixture of pain and blood-loss could affect the head, he was certainly dreaming.

Black Steel was supposed to be long dead. Dragged out of the ring after his fight with Natsu when he'd lost. Natsu never saw him again, but everyone knew what happened to the fighters who had to be dragged out of the arena. Those men had guns.

And sometimes, they heard the shots.

How had he survived?

Black Steel was splattered in blood, looking like he had gone through a small version of hell just on his way to the alley. His gun was raised, a single pistol against many angry thugs and Zeref.

"Ah, a day full of familiar faces..." Zeref did not sound amused, instead his face was grounded in cold anger. The gun in his hand didn't move, as if he knew he had a bargaining tool and was fully intending to use it. "It seems Master Jose lied when he said he dealt with you all those years ago."

Natsu didn't miss the way Black Steel flinched at the mention of his old Master.

Zeref's eyes drew back towards Lucy. "I have a feeling this woman was responsible for your rescue back then too. Just how long have you been searching for my brother?" he asked her.

Natsu's stomach twisted at the question, but Lucy kept her mouth shut, her eyes locked instead on Black Steel.

"Gajeel," she whispered, "what're you doing here? Levy...is she - "

The man's hands tightened around his gun, red eyes not budging from Zeref. "She'll live - and don't think we won't talk about you goin' behind my back later."

Hope flared up in Natsu at the conviction in his voice - that there was gonna be a _later_.

Still… Zeref had Lucy at gunpoint.

Black Steel couldn't win this one on his own.

He needed back-up, and it looked like the only one available to take that position was Natsu himself. Zeref's attention was on the newcomer; he had to use the element of surprise to his advantage.

In slow motion, he propped himself up on his elbows, preparing his body to launch right from where he was crouching. Scanning his surroundings, he realized now, with everybody's eyes trained on Gajeel as he loudly threatened Zeref, was his time to strike.

His body protested with every miniscule movement, but he pulled through by sheer willpower alone. He risked a short glance at Lucy, locking eyes with her for a short, torturous second. This second was all it took to fuel him.

Natsu propelled his body forward, surprised his feet didn't cave beneath him when they hit the ground. The men holding him stumbled backwards in surprise, shouting, and trying furiously to grab ahold of him again as he slipped just out of their reach. The sounds were enough for Zeref to spin around.

Just one more leap.

Zeref tore his gun around, and Natsu had just enough time to be relieved Lucy was safe before the shot went off.

For the fraction of a second, he thought he was dead.

Then the world started spinning again, bringing with it a stinging pain on his right cheek.

Natsu crashed into the man he had once called a brother, tackling him down for the second time that day. Blood dripped from his cheek onto Zeref's, but Natsu's blurring vision did not keep him from slamming a fist into his face.

His mouth was full of blood, the tangy, disgusting taste wanting to make him gag. He sent a drizzle of blood raining all over Zeref's face as he coughed, trying to keep his mouth shut. His face was _burning_.

But so was his rage, and he refused to drop dead now.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Black Steel had not stood still, and the sounds of shots and brawling registered faintly in his dazed mind.

 _Lucy!_

His head shot up, searching her out in the small chaos. A mistake, of course. Zeref was on top of him before he knew it, legs pinning him down in a death grip as he reached for the gun he had dropped. If Natsu had had any shred of doubt left about his intentions, they were as clear as day now: Zeref would kill him without batting an eyelash.

But for once, just one time in his damned, wretched life, luck was on his side.

Zeref jerked above him, the force of the bullet digging into his shoulder almost toppling him over Natsu. Grunting, the latter pushed him off, just in time to see a van screech to a halt at the entrance to the narrow alley.

"Natsu!" This was Lucy's voice.

Dazed, he looked up, finding her at last. She stood behind Gajeel, a slivered slice of wood (a broken broomstick, perhaps?) in one hand and Happy, wrapped into a rag, in the other.

What was she trying to tell him? He tried to concentrate on her through the red fog in his mind, blinking against the fatigue weighing his eyelids down. He had to get to Lucy.

He had to get to her, and everything would be fine.

But his body wouldn't react.

He heard Zeref breathing flatly beside him, just as immobilized as he was.

His eyes fixed on a person exiting the van, pistol raised.

From then on, everything was a blur as he blacked in and out of consciousness.

Someone tugged at his shoulders, frantically pulling at his body. Did they not realize he was too heavy to carry? Did they not realize he was _tired_?

Doors slammed shut behind him. Natsu jerked, fearing for a moment he had been locked away again. Was Lucy dead?

Someone was holding his hand, whispering his name.

He liked that voice.

It felt safe.

He felt like he was floating, carried along by a wild, unsteady torrent.

A familiar sound reached him amidst all the confusion and uncertainty, the greeting of an old friend he would recognize anywhere. His hand tugged into dirty fur.

People kept saying his name. There was so much noise.

He could let go now, right? He was safe?

A light touch brushed across his face, a presence settling beside him, enveloping him, soft and warm and light. He experienced a weird moment of dejá-vu, but couldn't quite place it.

Yes, Natsu decided. He was safe.

* * *

Natsu's been rescued! But...at what cost? Surely, the adventure is nowhere close to being over.

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Next time! Chapter 19: Shadowboxing

With this, ACT ONE has finished. This story will continue with ACT TWO this time next week!


	20. Shadowboxing

Sorry that the update is a day later than usual! We all got kinda tied up this week and didn't have time to set this out yesterday. Anyway, thank you so much for all your thoughts! Please enjoy!

* * *

 **rated** : _M  
_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER NINETEEN

 **Shadowboxing  
**

 _sparring with an imaginary opponent as a form of training_

* * *

 _ **Fifteen Years Ago**_

* * *

 _Lucy was terrified. It had been several days since she had been brought into this dark place she was expected to call her new home. She didn't know how much time had really passed, since most of the time they were kept in isolation._

 _The cage she used as a temporary home was shared with a boy the others called 'Salamander.' He was apparently special, knowing a secret form of martial arts called dragonslaying that could only be taught to a handful of people at any given time._

 _Lucy could see why, too. They spent time in a training room together, with Lucy merely observing for the time being while Salamander showed off explosive bursts of speed and an aggressive way of attacking_ _that were both remarkable for_ _a boy his age. It was like fire burned in his very soul._

 _She liked to watch him fight. When he sparred, sometimes it even looked like he was having fun. It was a nice distraction whenever Lucy began to feel lonely._

 _Happy was her companion while Salamander was busy. The kitten rested on her lap, snuggled in the white scarf he used as bedding._

 _At night, when it was time for them to go to bed, Salamander and Lucy would press very close together in the tiny space they shared. But Lucy didn't mind, because he was very warm and he made her feel safe._

 _And he_ _whispered to her in the dead of night,_ _of_ _plans for them to escape together._

 _It gave her hope. And hope was either the most valuable or the most fatal feeling down in the Ring._

 _By now, she wasn't exactly sure how long she'd been here. It was hard to keep track of time when you never even saw the light of day._

 _The cage rattled, causing her eyes to jerk open. No… she didn't want to get up yet. She wanted to sleep just a little longer. It felt like she'd barely slept at all._

 _Her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, finding a head of pink hair looming above her. The lights were still off. The door to their cage rattled shut._

" _Salamander?" she mumbled, rubbing at her eyes. The boy crouched down, and she could see his bright teeth as he grinned tiredly at her._

" _Sorry," he whispered. "Extra lessons."_

 _Ah, right. As he snuggled into her side, she realized it was still a long way from morning._

 _Lately, he'd been taken out of the cage more than usual, under the guidance of an older boy he called his brother._

 _Something about him unsettled Lucy._

 _But he was Salamander's friend and brother, so she trusted him too. At least he seemed able to grant her friend some freedoms that the rest of them did not possess. She was happy about that, for Salamander._

 _Though she wondered how the Dark Mage did it._

 _When total quiet had returned to the room, Salamander shuffled beside her, and she felt his lips against her ear. They were a little wet. It felt kind of disgusting._

 _But she held still, guessing his intentions._

" _There's a duct," he said in the lowest of whispers. "It has a grid, but it's a little loose. If I can get it off, we can fit through."_

 _Lucy carefully nodded._

" _I_ _ **can**_ _get it off," he corrected himself. "The air smells kinda fresh behind it." He paused, disgust creeping into his voice. "And like garbage."_

 _She felt him wrinkle his nose against her cheek, and suppressed a small giggle._

 _Even Lucy could smell it, though. The lingering, penetrating scent of decaying waste clung to the building like smoke._ _They had to be somewhere near a dump, maybe around the outskirts of a city. Salamander told her as much, too._

" _They like to keep us away from other people to be safe, but if we can get out we can probably hitch-hike with someone. Get a ride to the closest city," he whispered, and the amount of hope and excitement in his voice reflected in his bright eyes. Even in the dark, they shone._

 _Lucy couldn't help but frown though._

 _Hitch-hiking…_

 _Her father and bodyguards had warned her against trusting strangers. Told her she was likely to be kidnapped._

 _But then again, she supposed that she was already kidnapped. And nowhere could be as bad as the Ring. And other kidnappers wouldn't stick her in a cage in a dirty basement…_

 _It was worth the risk._

" _Okay…" Lucy nodded. "But how are we going to get out of this cage?"_

 _Right now, that posed the biggest problem. Seeing as how the only way to get out of the cage was to have someone open the door with a key. The steel bars were thick and spaced close together - she could barely squeeze her arm through the slots._

 _But, Salamander just grinned. "Just leave that to Happy," he said._

 _And as if he'd been listening to the conversation, the cat meowed agreeably._

 _Lucy felt a little sick, because while Salamander looked so certain, she was afraid. There was no mistaking what happened to the children who tried to resist the muscle men. Some disappeared from their cages in the middle of the night and never came back. Her small hands balled into tight fists, shaking a little as she tried to contain her fear._

 _As though sensing her turbulent emotions, Salamander turned her over towards him so they were face to face. It was riskier for them to talk to one another like this, but his dark eyes were so warm and comforting, Lucy felt her tremors subside. He grabbed her hand, his small, battered hands squeezing into hers._

 _She looked down at his grubby fingers, wrapped with bandages. It was hard to see in the dark, but she knew small cuts were nicked all the way up his arms. Still, that didn't seem to bother him. Even when he was hurt, his attention was always on her and Happy. He tried to keep them safe._

 _Salamander could be a little rude with his blunt way of speaking sometimes, but he was steadfast in his trust in his friends. Lucy felt very lucky to have him while they were in this place together._

" _Don't worry, Heartfilia," Salamander breathed, his dirty forehead pushing against hers. "We're going to get out together. And we'll go home together."_

 _Lucy bit her bottom lip, her eyes wide as a sudden, terrifying thought came to her. "What if only one of us gets out?"_

 _Salamander stilled at that, his lips pressing together. The thought of failure didn't seem to register in his mind, much less one of them being left behind. The answer, for him, looked very simple._

" _I promise, I'll come get you," Salamander vowed, his smile wide and catching. It was enough to chase away the remaining threads of fear in Lucy's own heart._

 _She found herself nodding along after him. "Me too."_

 _Her hand untangled from his, and she looped their pinkies together in a vow solemn for children._

" _I promise I'll come back for you too, Salamander."_

 _A small smile stretched across his face, and he nodded._

 _They drifted off into a deep sleep, their tired bodies finding rest in the safety of each other's arms._

\- : : - _  
_

Natsu jerked awake, a hard gasp forcing his lungs to breathe. His body was aching something terrible and when he shifted, he found his right arm was locked down. Consciousness slipped from his fingers like a flightless bird, and it became a struggle for him to look at anything around him.

Slowly, a white wall came into focus.

A loud, penetrating sound kept him from drifting back to sleep. It was right next to his head, a constant, merciless _beep, beep, beep_.

He tried swatting at it, but again, his arm wouldn't budge.

Natsu didn't like anything about this.

His breath caught and he tried again, sense creeping backing into him. His eyes flicked down to his wrist, seeing where it was strapped down to the bed. He gasped, practically swallowing back his tongue when he saw he couldn't get free from the bed. Panic built in his chest as he frantically tried to remember what happened to land him in this bed.

Where was he?

The room he was in looked sterile, like a hospital. He remembered a time, long ago when he used to go to places like this with Igneel. Only then there were elephants on the walls and giraffes painted on the ceiling. Happy animals with silly faces to soothe children when they had their first visit to the doctor.

Was he in the hospital?

No, he couldn't be. That didn't make sense.

Every time he went to see a doctor after he had been taken, whether it was to treat an illness caught by the close proximity of the fighters, or go under the knife to repair damage from a fight, it had always been the same.

Plastic tarp would cover the walls of a dimly lit room. Simple machines and a cold metal table were all the comforts the patients received in the underground 'medical' facility.

He pushed himself up, lifting his shoulders enough for him to grimace over the pain in his side. It caused his entire face to inflame angrily, and he swore, reaching around with his free hand to gingerly touch at the bandage on his face.

"Oh, you're awake," a man grunted near the door, peering at Natsu with cold, indifferent eyes. "'Bout time, I didn't sign up to babysit."

Natsu stiffened at the sight of the stranger. He wore a simple uniform, blue, with a shiny silver badge on his chest. Was he a cop?

He didn't like the expression on his face.

In fact, he didn't like _anything_ of what was going on.

Why was he here? Why was he chained to a bed? Why didn't he recognize anyone or anything? Why was this guy staring at him as if he were one of the muscle men? Why _weren't_ there any of the muscle men here?

Anger mixed in with Natsu's confusion, chasing away the last bits of fatigue and clouding his mind with a red, hazy fog.

Nothing was right. He didn't understand anything anymore. His world, everything he knew, came crashing down around him. The beeping beside his head only grow louder, and faster, and unbearable.

He wanted it to stop.

Grabbing his chained wrist, Natsu began yanking at the handcuff. His feet scrambled, pushing into the white linen as he pushed upwards, his whole body recoiling from the cold metal digging into his wrist.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" the man demanded, and Natsu thought he heard him calling for backup.

He had to get away. He had to get away before they came and took him back.

They'd come and hold him down and inject him and throw him into a cell and he'd be beaten and punished and he'd never see Lucy again and-

Where was Lucy? Where was _Happy_?

As the memories came crashing back in with his panic, his wild eyes darted around the room.

There was no one. No one except that damned guy who looked terribly unsettled all of a sudden, glancing at the door again and again. Natsu kept tugging at his restraints like a madman, barely feeling how the metal cut at his skin.

A voice was drowning out most of the annoying beeping, loud and angry, and he realized it was his own.

Someone new entered the room. Another face he didn't know, that of a sturdy, calm woman. Natsu's eyes dropped down to the syringe in her hands.

Everything was a blur after that.

* * *

More info on their childhood! I wonder what happened after that, hm...

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Next time! Chapter 20: Long Count


	21. Long Count

Thanks for all your thoughts on the last chapter! A lot of you had in-depth comments and theories based on the mini flashback... Reading them all was so much fun! We can't wait for you to find out what happened all those years ago ahaha

Until then, please enjoy this fluffy, angsty chapter :D

* * *

 **rated** : _M  
_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY

 **Long Count  
**

 _when a boxer is given more than the allotted time (a notional ten seconds) to rise to his or her feet_

* * *

Minutes earlier, Gajeel and Lucy were waiting outside Levy's room. Aside from the stitches and bandages needed in her left hand and stomach, she was going to be fine. To know she had come out of that without needing extensive therapy to other parts of her was a relief. Of course she had been hurt pretty badly, and would need her rest in the hospital for some time to come.

Gajeel and Lucy, for their part, had taken quite a bit of punches and smacks themselves. Lucy had needed stitches for her ripped ear, and had a few bandages around her wrists and a calf. Gajeel's injuries were minor in comparison, but both of his hands were taped up from muzzle burns from the gun and tenderizing a man's face with his fists.

They held a cat in both of their arms, Gajeel supporting the small form of Pantherlily, while Lucy comforted a distraught looking Happy.

"I'm so sorry, Gajeel," Lucy apologized, looking down at where Gajeel was silently glaring down the hallway at the nurses walking by. "I didn't mean to get you involved, or for Levy to get hurt like this."

The man heaved a sigh, his eyes flashing towards Lucy as they acknowledged her words.

"Lucy, I ain't mad at you. Ya did what you thought was right, and I should have given ya the support you needed from the get go instead of lettin' you and Levy do this on your own," Gajeel grumbled. "I'm the cop, this one falls on me."

He was always so eager, Lucy knew, to pin all the blame on himself.

"I'm mad because this whole damn thing blew up in our faces." Gajeel pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. "Now the whole organization'll be spooked. They'll go underground for sure, and take Wendy with them."

Wendy.

Lucy flushed with guilt, her gut twisting as she remembered the frightened child Natsu looked after. She was their real goal to recover - but Lucy hadn't been able to turn away from Natsu.

She couldn't bring herself to regret it though. He was out of that terrible place, and Lucy would pay a personal cost to never see him back there.

"We got Natsu out though," Gajeel grunted, looking back down the hall at where the other fighter was being held. "Hopefully the damn Salamander will be able to help us more than I was able to."

Lucy nodded, bunching Happy closer to her chin and scratching him behind his ear. The feline meowed, bumping his tiny head underneath her jaw, his paw padding out to swipe at a lock of her blonde hair.

Before she could open her mouth to tell Gajeel she hoped he was right, there was a sudden flurry of motion further down the hallway. Lucy's gasped at the sight of people heading towards the room, recognizing it at once.

Natsu's room.

Both of them jumped up almost simultaneously, the cats landing on the ground with an offended cry. Sometimes Lucy wondered about them. They didn't exactly behave like normal cats would, even now choosing to follow them closely instead of running off in a fit. Then again, she guessed humans weren't the only living beings able to be thoroughly traumatized.

These cats had been through hell as much as their owners had.

Happy whizzed into the room before either Lucy or Gajeel arrived, having probably scented his owner and his distress. Lucy exchanged a worried glance with Gajeel as they neared the door, hearing the muffled cries behind it.

Gajeel wore a scowl.

"What is going on?" he demanded in his gruff tone as he slammed the door all the way open, and Lucy stopped in her tracks as she took in the chaos awaiting them behind it.

Both a nurse and a policeman were struggling and failing to hold Natsu down, who thrashed and kicked out blindly at anything he could reach, screaming at them to let him go.

A second, male nurse, and someone who probably was a doctor, stood a little way behind them with no means of reaching any further, seeming unsure on how to proceed

She heard Gajeel curse in front of her. "Stop that, for fuck's sake!" he bellowed. "Back off!"

At the sound of his booming voice, both the nurse and his subordinate followed his command automatically. As they retreated from the panicked man, the woman bent over to pick up a syringe that lay on the floor in the middle of the room, liquid spilling out between the broken glass. It must have dropped quite forcibly.

Natsu's eyes were wild, as if suddenly unsure why they had released him. His chest heaved and his body ached. Blood oozed fresh from the injury on his side, his thrashing having reopened the stitches.

Lucy ran over to him, stepping around the mess on the floor and ignoring Gajeel's warning. She gently touched Natsu's cuffed hand, grimacing at the angry red welts that had formed from his struggling. At the sight of her though, he stilled, breathing evening out from the panic.

"L-Lucy?" he stammered, his grip twisting around her fingers to clutch at her hand like a lifeline. She could still see how confused he was, the paranoia on his face over his unfamiliar surroundings as he asked, "Where am I?"

Taking his hand firmly in hers, she stroked her fingers through his thick hair. Some of the tension relaxed around his eyes at the touch, and she was grateful to see that his trust in her still seemed to remain intact.

"You're at the hospital, Natsu. You were shot." She caught sight of the way his mouth dropped open at the way she said his name so casually. "Do you remember everything that happened?"

He licked his lips, his frantic breaths finally slowing down. The shrieking of the machine confirmed that his heart rate was slowing. Sense seemed to flash in his eyes and he nodded. It was slow at first, but the way he seemed to register his surroundings sank in like a calming force.

"I'm… out?" he asked, his voice so quiet, the disbelief so poignant, it made Lucy's heart ache.

She squeezed his hand gently and smiled at him. "You're out."

The confirmation of his thoughts seemed to make all the fight drain out of Natsu and bleed into the mattress. His body sagged, tired and confused.

Lucy was quick to steady him as the strength left him, but her thin arms didn't do much good as his dead body weight pulled downwards, slipping from her grip. He fell back into the mattress, eyelids fluttering.

Happy jumped up onto the bed from somewhere behind it, rubbing his face against Natsu's chin and starting to purr like an engine now that he was reunited with his human.

Natsu stared at the ceiling in disbelief as his mind wrapped around everything that had happened.

"I think all you people can leave us alone now." Natsu recognized the voice as that of Black Steel, and he turned his head sharply, flinching from the pain that shot up his shoulder.

When had he gotten here?

He had changed since he'd last seen him. As Natsu took him in now, properly for the first time in years, he noticed quite a few differences. His age was a given, but what caught his attention first and foremost was the mane of black hair he wore.

It looked ridiculous. Natsu snorted quietly, suddenly insanely amused by everything.

"You're not dead then," he greeted, clearing his throat when his voice came out rather scratchy and hoarse.

His hand reached for Lucy, reassuring himself she was still at his side, and not going anywhere. When she answered his touch and carefully interlaced their fingers, Natsu relaxed once more. Happy had curled up into a ball, half-way falling off his shoulder, muzzle pressed against his neck.

"Damn right I'm not dead," his rival of old times grunted. "As if someone like yer sorry ass could actually get me killed."

They shared a look, then, a silent understanding passing between them.

Lucy could only imagine what they were feeling. They shared experiences she had only taken the tiniest of peeks at, had lived through horrors she only could begin to imagine. And yet, all three of them had shared the same fate for a short time. It was only by sheer luck that Lucy had gotten away long before either of them.

And Natsu had paid for it, for so many years.

Lucy turned her head, not wanting to intrude on their moment as a wave of shame washed over her. In the end, she had kept her promise. She had come back for him. But it should never have taken so long.

She wanted to apologize to him or to Gajeel for the hundredth time, and she would have if there was time for it. Natsu was looking at her as if with new eyes; the woman he had gotten to know over the past months would take a moment to blend in with the little girl he had known so long ago.

Her thumb rubbed a gentle circle around the crease of his wrist, causing a smile to flicker across his face.

"So what's the deal, Lucy?" Natsu finally asked after a long moment. "You two cops?"

Gajeel snorted at that, looking extremely amused by Natsu's question. Lucy didn't know if she should feel insulted or not considering the sheer amount of harassment he had to endure when Lucy followed a lead.

"She wishes," Gajeel scoffed.

Lucy shot him a sour look but shook her head. "I'm a reporter. Gajeel is the cop."

"Gajeel, huh?" Natsu repeated, squinting at the other.

"Detective Redfox to you," Gajeel growled, but there was a hint of … something behind his eyes that made Natsu snort.

It just made Lucy confused at their male showboating, and she figured it was normal between them. She never had asked much about the internal fights between people in the Ring.

Natsu huffed out a breath, relaxing back into the pillow and stroking his hand along Happy's spine.

"So what now?" he asked.

Gajeel exchanged a look with Lucy, who bit her bottom lip. In truth, she hadn't thought much about what would happen after she got Natsu out of the Ring. There were too many things going on at the time for her to think about everything. He was barely educated and had spent the majority of his life in captivity.

Most of his interactions with people were violent, and the ones that weren't - well, they weren't exactly suitable dinner conversations.

Getting Natsu acclimated with normal life was going to be hard. Especially since this was a world where he couldn't solve his problems by hitting them until they went away. Lucy had done it once before, with Gajeel. And Gajeel had gotten his help somewhere else as well..

But he was going to need an outlet. And some place to keep an eye on him.

At the time, Lucy had many bodyguards living around her at the estate, and Gajeel had stayed there with her, much to the displeasure of her father. But there he had been able to get his head screwed on straight.

Unfortunately Lucy no longer had those bodyguards under employ, despite how she could call them for aid whenever she needed them.

No, this was different.

"You're gonna have to answer a few questions for me," Gajeel began, "and when you're done you're going to be staying with me while we get you used to-" he waved a distant hand around his surroundings, "-this."

Natsu frowned, but nodded in understanding. His brows came together, as if there was something he was thinking about.

"All right, but-" Natsu glanced around, "-where's my dad? Why isn't he here? Can't I just stay with him?"

And just like that, the room fell entirely silent, the atmosphere changing in a heartbeat. Lucy didn't dare look up at Gajeel, keeping her eyes trained on where her and Natsu's hands were joined. She tried suppressing the images that came flooding back into her mind, but to no avail.

Natsu's father was long dead. Murdered. Torn apart.

How could she say that to his face?

After everything he had been through, he was finally free - and she was about to destroy his newfound happiness with three simple words. No. This wasn't fair.

"What?" Natsu asked, a nervous tinge to his tone.

Gajeel cleared his throat, and Lucy's head jerked up, eyes shooting a warning. He seemed to understand.

Awkwardly waving a hand at Lucy, he mumbled something under his breath about reports and having more important things to do before he disappeared out the door faster than either could react, Lily on his heels.

It was quiet again.

"Lucy," Natsu said again, a new urgency to his voice, "why isn't Igneel here? Did you not find him?"

Oh, it would have been so easy to say yes.

Lucy swallowed past the lump in her throat, forcing herself to meet his eyes.

He froze at the look on her face, his hand moving to withdraw from hers, but unable to thanks to how it was still cuffed to his stationary bed. She clutched at his fingers, as though preventing him from tearing away from her. The way she squeezed, until her knuckles were white, was probably too hard, but Natsu didn't seem to notice.

His face was pale, dark green eyes hollowing as she watched.

"Natsu…" Lucy choked before looking down at their hands. His fingers were clutching at the off-white blankets and her heart tightened. "I'm so...I'm so sorry…" was all she managed to whisper.

She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"He's dead?" Natsu's voice was flat, as if something had scraped him out. A flare of denial and white hot anger sparked in his eyes. "No, you're wrong… He can't be!"

Lucy wasn't sure if his disbelief was better or worse than the truth. She didn't like seeing defeat shadow his face. There was something so horrible about his lackluster expression, she wanted to chase it away forever.

But she had to tell him the truth.

She saw the pictures of Natsu and Igneel. While her own relationship with her father had never been anything like what he shared with him, Lucy knew what it was like to lose a parent. For him to have to accept he would never get the chance to see Igneel again….

He had held onto that thought for over fifteen years.

But how could she convince him of a truth she didn't even want to admit aloud. Her voice quivered as she tugged on Natsu's hand to get his stubborn attention.

"You said it yourself, Natsu," Lucy whispered. "Your dad would have looked for you if he could have."

"But…" He was struggling for words, and the way his breath came flat and desperate made her want to just fling her arms around him and protect him from this cruel world forever.

But she couldn't. Not yet.

Not until she'd told him the full truth.

Inhaling deeply, Lucy looked him in the eye, forcing his gaze to still with her watery one. "He's dead, Natsu," she whispered past the building sob in her chest. "He's been dead for fifteen years. I'm so sorry."

She watched as Natsu clenched his teeth and shook his head, tears filling up his eyes.

"Fifteen years?" he choked out, his face grimacing in pain. "But that's...that's…"

A weak nod was all Lucy managed before she hung her head in an attempt to hide the tears spilling onto her cheeks.

"...When they took you," she confirmed after a moment of silence.

Natsu didn't answer. His hand had been trembling beneath hers, but now it suddenly stilled before gripping her with new force, almost violently.

Unsettled, Lucy lifted her head.

Natsu was as pale as the sheets he was sitting on, cold sweat clinging to his face and body. Something wasn't right.

"Lucy," he choked, "I - I can't breathe. I can't - "

Her heart tightened in fear.

"Natsu!" she gasped, panic growing inside her when he started panting and gasping for breath, the hand that had been holding hers moving to his chest.

She knew what this was. It had happened to her too.

For a long time after her rescue, she'd experienced random bouts of panic, often waking up trembling, even refusing to leave her home for the first months.

It had passed, with time and expensive therapy, but the memory remained.

And Lucy had been all alone. No one had ever been there to just hold her, to talk it out, to comfort and console her when she needed it most.

No, when the world had spun around her and her chest had been too tight to breathe, all she'd had were empty hallways and even emptier rooms. She had been alone when the panic had come, and alone when the panic had gone.

She wouldn't let Natsu be all alone.

Carefully, afraid to startle him, she reached out and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Natsu," she said, trying her best to sound calm, "look at me. Please."

He swallowed, hands flying up to grab onto hers, but otherwise showed no signs of having heard her. She tried again, and this time his eyes found hers.

"It's all right," she breathed, "I'm here."

He was struggling to find his breath, wide eyes pleading with her. His fingers twisted in the pale blue front of the gown he wore.

"Focus on me, all right?" she asked, and he managed a weak nod. Her right hand moved to cup his cheek, and she took a deep breath in hopes he'd mirror her.

His eyes were fixed on her. They stayed like this, breath for breath for breath, until Natsu had somewhat regained control over his mind and body. He was still trembling, but when Lucy was sure the worst part was over, she pulled him into a gentle, tight embrace.

He buried his face in her shoulder.

The skin of her neck soon was wet with tears, but she didn't say a word as he silently cried in her hold.

She wasn't sure how long they sat like this, only that her legs started hurting after some time.

"What's happening to me?" he finally asked her, his voice so faint she barely picked it up at first. "I thought I was dying."

It took her a moment to come up with a satisfying answer.

"You were locked away from the world for a very long time," she carefully said. "Everything right now is a shock to you. It's perfectly normal to be hurt and confused. Especially with…"

She didn't want to bring his father up again in fears of toppling him over the edge, so she trailed off. By the way his body tensed, she knew he'd understood what she was referring to.

Soothingly, she combed her hand through his sweaty hair.

He sagged against her, holding her tight as his breaths evened out.

"Thank you…" he mumbled into her hair, and Lucy wasn't quite sure what exactly he was thanking her for. She carefully shifted, trying to find a position that was at least a little more comfortable. Her legs had disintegrated from her body.

After a while she realized he'd fallen asleep.

As gently as possible, she moved him backwards and lowered him into the cushions along with her. For a moment, she looked down at his sleeping face, so peaceful now that consciousness had slipped him. Lucy sighed, brushing sweaty strands of hair off his forehead. Then, she rolled off him.

She wanted to be there when he awoke, and refused to leave the room.

* * *

Waking up after something so traumatic only to be traumatized again with devastating news... Let's hope he can come to terms.

 **Thanks for reviewing:** _Brannasaurus Rex, Guest, Min-chan17, darklitfaery888, jackercrackers27, subtle-memoriess, OrihimeKurosakiInoue, Guest, Bunny, Guest, Guest, Aya Rose, AVMfreak96, Lulu Heartfilia, Guest, brooke315, Guest, swallowmysoul, celestial-galaxy, Mo0nyMoon, fanficlove2014, Phiafairy, Miss Punkie, Twishadowhunter, yucie, CheyennaBanana, Fairytail-FMA-fan, Crysteldragon, wishyouweremedontya, Etrinity, notsudrogneel, LyraSanders, RunningWithTheRiptide, Gir276, A Beauty that's a Beast, FlameDragonHime, LePengwen, o0vicarious-living0o, SilverHeat, lifeisjustchess, MehKitty, imeaniguess809, Free2Fly, FireDragonPhia, thewildeqoute, BloodRedRubies, gracee evans13, Yuyui Hime, mushi0131, fandom-osmosis, sthokatrina_

Next time! Chapter 21: Slip


	22. Slip

Your tears from the last chapter we delicious ufufu... Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us! We had a question as to whether there will be any Gruvia in this fic. We have written some small interactions between Gray and Juvia, yes! They'll make an appearance in later chapters. And yes, updates are **weekly**. We usually upload on Saturdays (although sometimes we get too busy and update on Sunday, like now ahaha)

Also, thank you for getting us past 1,000 reviews omg. It's a huge milestone for our fic. As a special thank you, here's a doubly long chapter! Lots of fluff and shenanigans ahoy in order to repent for the pain caused by the last chapter.

Enjoy!

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 **rated** : _M  
_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

 **Slip  
**

 _moving one's head to either side so that an opponent's punches "slip" by_

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As Gajeel feared, Natsu had been unable to remember anything useful about the location he'd been held at. All he could say for certain was that the place had gray walls and a bad leak near the entrance.

When he was shown Wendy's picture though, Natsu's entire body had gone still. He had taken the photo with shaky fingers, his thumbs smudging the glossy emulsion. That was all the confirmation Gajeel had needed.

"Is she alive?" Gajeel had asked, causing Natsu to snap an awkward nod.

Even with that, there wasn't a lot left to go on to determine their next steps. They had managed to collect a blood sample from the bullet that had shot Zeref but they weren't confident it would tell them anything they didn't already know.

Gajeel for his part was under intense scrutiny after what he had done to one of the men who had hurt Levy. His captain was sympathetic of course, but there was the matter of Gajeel's knowledge of a potential threat and the excessive force he used.

Excessive force being a kind way of describing it.

The thug he'd shot and beaten to a pulp had landed in the hospital - he'd barely survived after fourteen hours in surgery.

Thus, Gajeel was suspended and taken off the case. With that in mind, he was directed to take the time to cool his head off and get Natsu adjusted to life in the real world. Because case or not, Gajeel was his best chance to come out of the shock of being freed even a little sane.

Natsu had nearly thrown up on the car ride over to his place, and Gajeel supposed that only made sense. Natsu had always been drugged while in a vehicle. Gajeel still got violently ill if he wasn't driving.

Lucy shuffled around them, while Natsu had his face turned up to the sky. Gajeel could imagine, with perfect clarity what he was feeling. For the first time in years, Natsu was looking up at the clear blue sky.

It was a nice day too, and he was a little glad Natsu was getting the chance to see it.

But as sunny as it was, it was as cold as a morgue outside and Gajeel had perfectly good windows for him to look through. He threw open his front door and stomped in without preamble.

"Don't mind him." Lucy eyed Gajeel's back, her lips twisting in a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "He just doesn't like having to share his space with you. He'd much prefer Levy."

Gajeel tensed at the name, having heard, and pinned Lucy with a black scowl over his shoulder.

"Is that so," Natsu whispered back, seeming wholly amused by that sliver of information. "And I'd much prefer you," he said simply, so casual that Lucy almost passed it by with a smile.

But then the words settled, and her cheeks lit up.

Fortunately, he was already getting out of the car.

Natsu inspected Gajeel's home with enthusiasm, much like he did with every new place, experience, taste, and sight he had encountered in the last few days. It was like watching a little boy discover the world for the first time.

In a way, that was exactly what it was.

The wonder and the excitement and the curiosity were exactly the same. As was the indescribable joy that lit up his eyes over the most simple things - the balloon stand on main street, a group of dogs chasing a frisbee in the park, the bee that landed on his shoulder and very nearly stung him…

 _Life._

Now, his eyes were still alight as he trailed his fingers along the clean walls and the furniture of Gajeel's apartment. Just touching. Like he needed to physically assure himself that this was real.

When the group trekked into the living room, Gajeel turned and eyed Natsu with displeasure. "You gotta take off yer shoes by the front door. House rules," he grumped.

Natsu frowned, blinking down at his white tennis shoes.

They were brand new.

And from the look on his face and the way he rocked back on his heels, he didn't want to take them off. Like a child with a new toy he didn't want to put away.

But Natsu didn't complain as he observed his friends' bare feet on the carpet. He went obediently back to the front door and slipped off his sneakers. That didn't stop him from casting them a wistful glance over his shoulder, though, as he rejoined Lucy and Gajeel in the living room.

That look made Lucy's chest hurt.

"Why can't I just stay with Lucy?" he whined for the hundredth time that day. "I bet she'd let me wear my shoes."

"Oh, hell no I wouldn't!" she exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how much dirt you bring into the house like that?"

Natsu pouted, but then shrugged. "Bet it'd still be more fun than with metal bat over there," he mumbled under his breath, evoking a low growl from the other.

"Oh shut up, Salamander," Gajeel snapped, his expression darkening. "This isn't about me begging to have you as a roommate. What would you do if you hurt her? Could you forgive yourself for that?"

"I wouldn't hurt Lucy." Natsu scowled at Gajeel in offense, hands stuffed in the pockets of his borrowed jacket. But even Lucy could tell they were balled into angry fists.

"Maybe while you're thinkin' about it, you wouldn't," Gajeel grunted, pacing across the room. "But what happens if she startles ya? You're gonna tell me your first impulse ain't to swing?"

Natsu fell quiet, but his teeth ground together so hard Lucy thought she could have heard his molars popping.

"If you think it's no big deal, then whatever. You're not a prisoner here." Gajeel's scowl deepened as he threw open a linen closet and began to yank out extra blankets and pillows. "But don't come crying to me when she tries to wake you up from a nightmare and you break her arm."

This seemed to put a damper on Natsu.

Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but was muffled by a thick blanket that landed on top of her. When she yanked it off with a pout, the two men were caught up in a glaring match.

"And just so we're clear," Gajeel rumbled, glaring down his nose, "if you _do_ break her arm… I'll personally break both of yours. Got it?"

Lucy swallowed and fisted the blanket.

Gajeel had a right to be concerned, she knew that. He was her friend, after all. But to so blatantly _threaten_ Natsu, even if it was for her sake, unsettled her. The last thing the two needed was to get into a brawl - because knowing them, they wouldn't stop.

Maybe, Lucy wondered worriedly, this arrangement wasn't such a good idea after all.

But, much to her surprise, Natsu stepped back with a snort. He was the one to break eye contact and look down, shaking his head. Almost like he was...amused?

"Can't say I'd blame you," Natsu muttered around a wry grin. "We're pretty similar I guess."

Lucy felt like she had missed something in the way they communicated with one another, and it frustrated her to no end that they were seeming to speak a completely different language. Although she supposed it was to be expected.

Natsu was right after all, he and Gajeel were pretty similar.

When Gajeel had stayed with her in those first few months after he was back...

To say it had been tough was an understatement of epic proportions. He'd been unsettled in his new surroundings, hated being cooped up inside and unable to burn off the excess energy pounding through him. He'd lived a life of relentless activity up until that point, and to sit in comfort to 'heal' was out of the question.

No doubt as soon as Natsu started to physically recover from his injuries, the same thing would happen to him. As it stood, it wouldn't take him too long - he luckily hadn't gotten more than a few grazes.

But Gajeel hadn't been able to relax. He would deny it to his dying breath, but closing his eyes in those first weeks had had him terrified he'd wake up in his old cell. Like he was just waiting for his dream to end. Lucy had known by the look in his eyes, the way he'd whipped around when something clattered to the floor in the large, empty hallways of the Heartfilia manor.

He'd fought and practiced with her bodyguards during that time, but on the nights he was unable to totally wear himself out, that was when he'd been the worst.

She saw Natsu circle around Gajeel's place, his eyes mapping out the place he would be staying in for now. While it was clear neither man really wanted to be around the other, they were accepting it was for the best.

Lucy couldn't help but feel a touch disappointed, a thought she quickly shook past. She was being ridiculous. Natsu would be with Gajeel until he was able to acclimate back to normal life.

It was going to be tough for him, but from what she gathered, Natsu was better educated than most of the fighters were. At least that was the way it seemed to her. It was thanks to the _special treatment_ he received from his older brother, apparently, and it had made him a constant target among the guards for the attention.

With that in mind, Lucy had hope for Natsu. He was like a sponge already, and showed no signs of being oversaturated with information yet.

Happy darted past her feet, almost making Lucy drop the blankets she was tasked with carrying. The cat snuck between Natsu's legs and made a beeline right for the bed his master would be sleeping in.

"Hey!" Gajeel scowled at the blue tail that slithered past him the moment he opened the door to Natsu's room.

"I think he claimed it." Natsu observed the blue ball of fur that was resting directly in the center of the bed, to maximize the amount of space he could take up.

"Guess you'll be sleeping on the floor," Lucy replied dryly, but the instant she said those words she immediately regretted them coming from her. For a second she forgot that had been Natsu's reality, and she peeked at him to see if he was offended.

She didn't even know if it was worse when it looked like he hadn't even registered her words with any sign of sadness. Instead he grinned and bent to scoop an arm under Happy's limp body. The lazy cat didn't budge a bit.

"I guess it wouldn't be the first!"

He let himself drop onto the bed, making Happy scramble for his life, and bounced up and down happily. Lucy bit her lip in order to not laugh out loud at him.

"My own bed!" he proclaimed, beaming at Lucy, whose face broke into a happy grin. "And I don't have to share it with anyone!"

For a fraction of a second, Lucy's smile faltered. For a terrible, traitorous second, she found herself wishing he'd want to share the bed with her.

But maybe, she guessed, she'd just been another buyer this whole time. It wasn't that she questioned his friendship and affection, but in the end she had paid to be with him, and he'd never had a real choice but to accept her presence whether he'd enjoyed it or not.

Now that he was free, and had not only the choice of sharing his time and space of his own free will, but to build new human relationships, who knew how long he'd stick with her?

The thought made Lucy sad. She told herself it was silly to doubt - but the funny thing about doubt was, it didn't simply go away if you asked it to. It clung like dust to an all too receiving, sticky surface.

What if he'd latched onto her simply because she'd been the only one there? He liked her, she knew that just as she knew she liked him, but was it simply because she had treated him with kindness and respect, or because she was _Lucy_?

Sighing, Lucy shook her head to rid it of the tumultuous thoughts troubling her.

For now, all she could do was to help him to the best of her abilities. To be there for him. And she would be there for as long as he wanted her to, whether as guide, confidant, friend, lover - it didn't matter. What mattered was his happiness.

And, Lucy decided as he waddled around on the bed, her eyes trained on the one thing that had been bothering her for the last days, the first step towards happiness - her own, perhaps - was a haircut.

The messy, formless mop of hair on his head seemed more like its own living entity than an actual hairdo. It might jump off any second and reveal itself to be Happy's long lost sibling, and Lucy wouldn't have been surprised in the least. It had to _go_.

She realized Gajeel had left the room, and decided presenting him with pre-decided certainties would give him less room to protest. That left her with convincing her main victim: Natsu.

"Say, Natsu," she said as she sauntered over to his new bed, "I have a suggestion."

His head snapped up immediately, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. He still hadn't gotten completely used to her calling him by his name, and his reaction had not yet ceased to make her feel stupidly happy.

An eyebrow quirked up curiously as she sat down on the edge of the bed, a situation so familiar that for a second his heart leapt into his throat, eyes nervously flicking to the open door as if to reassure himself this was not another of the "rich rooms", as he'd called them.

"How about we go shopping for you soon?" she asked, carefully approaching the topic she had in mind. She had a feeling she might have to be a little sneaky with this one.

His eyes lit up. "More clothes?" he asked enthusiastically, nodding his approval.

"I'll buy you all the clothes you want," she replied with a grin, and then prepared to strike. "But first...this has gotta go."

Lucy tugged at the small ponytail his hair was gathered in, causing him to whine and pull his hand around to cover hers. Natsu pouted at her, his expression sullen.

"You want to give me a haircut?" Natsu remarked, his fingers brushing over the back of Lucy's smooth knuckles as he tried to grab at his ponytail protectively.

Meekly, Lucy nodded.

"You don't like my hair?" he gasped, offended.

"No, no!" Lucy was quick to protest. "It's just I _think_ it would look _even_ better if you cut it off a little, you know, give it some form and style…"

"Same thing," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest after he unwound her fingers from his hair, dragging her hand down with him. It was trapped under his armpit, between his hand and ribcage, and he didn't let go when she pulled a little.

With her hand lodged against his side, Lucy was forced to move along with Natsu as he got comfortable on the bed. She grumbled and pulled again to free it, but he didn't seem to even notice her attempts.

Sighing, she gave up and shifted closer to him on the bed so at least she wouldn't have her arm bent in some awkward position while he pouted.

"Why can't I keep it long? _Gajeel_ has long hair," Natsu's eyes narrowed stubbornly, and she rolled her eyes at how he desperate he was to cling to any excuse.

"Well Gajeel can pull off the grungy unwashed look," Lucy shot back, inviting an offended 'hey!' from somewhere further in the kitchen.

It was enough to make even Natsu snort a bit.

She rolled her shoulders forward, leveraging herself up onto her knees against the mattress so Natsu craned his head up to look at her. A muscle in his cheek twitched, causing him to wince around the bandage. His free hand turned up to balance her elbow automatically as she hovered above him, and Lucy couldn't help but smile at the natural gesture.

"I don't mind getting my hair cut," Natsu admitted, fidgeting a little as his eyes seemed to dart down across Lucy for a moment.

She held her tongue, unable to feel a shred of pride that she at least was interesting enough for him to look at. She pushed that thought aside for the moment to focus instead on Natsu's twitching.

"Then what's the problem?" she asked him, meeting his sharp, green eyes with what she hoped was a comforting look.

He fidgeted again, breaking contact with Lucy when his gaze dropped to the right.

"I don't know if I want a stranger cutting my hair," he said gruffly.

Lucy's mouth formed a small 'o' in surprise.

Natsu was still unused to interacting with strangers - trusting people didn't come naturally to him for very clear reasons. And for so long, his life had centered around fighting other people; other people who exploited weaknesses. To have another person behind his back, out of his sight...it was probably unnerving. Probably felt unnatural and made him anxious.

Doubly if that person was holding shears.

Lucy could understand that. Given his situation, she definitely wouldn't be letting a stranger stand so casually behind her - much less touch her hair.

"Okay," she acknowledged without pressing further. "Then what if it was done by someone you know?"

Natsu's brow furrowed as he looked at her, and then he snorted. "What, you're gonna tell me you're a hairdresser on top of being a reporter?" he joked.

"Well, no," Lucy admitted, flushing, "but it's just hair, right? How hard could it be?"

As it turned out almost an hour later, Lucy discovered, the answer was: very.

The two were cramped in Gajeel's bathroom, Natsu sitting on the toilet and facing the wall with Lucy standing behind him. The scissors in her hands felt heavier than usual as she snipped along the back of his neck, just above the protective towel. And even though she had a perfect image of what she was trying to create...her hands just wouldn't cooperate.

She measured and took her time, but somehow...somehow his pink hair still looked choppy and uneven. No matter how she tried.

It was maddening.

Some strands were just the right length but most were either too long or _far_ too short. And when meshed together, one word came to Lucy's mind.

 _Terrible._

This had been a terrible, terrible idea.

Biting her lip, Lucy forced a sigh out through her nose and held two locks together, measuring with her fingers. Terrible, yes, but maybe she could still fix it. It didn't look beyond the point of saving yet.

And while she snipped away, Natsu sat fairly quietly.

At first, he'd been tense - the thought of letting someone stand behind him was still unsettling, even if it was Lucy. But as the minutes ticked by, the only sounds in the bathroom being the wisping _snip-snip-snip_ of the scissors and the flighty tune Lucy hummed under her breath, his shoulders slowly lowered. The muscles in his back unknotted and he even released a calmed sigh.

At least someone was relaxed, Lucy thought wryly.

She on the other hand….well...if his hair hadn't looked bad enough before, it certainly did now.

Her frustration growing, Lucy gripped a piece of hair and cut it with short precise movements. And when it came out two inches shorter than she'd hoped, she muttered, "Oops…"

Natsu's head jerked as he tried to turn around. "Oops?" he echoed. "Whaddya mean, oops?"

She yanked the scissors away from his head. "Er, well, this is just a little more...difficult than I thought it would be. No worries, though!" she assured him quickly, nervously. "It doesn't look...too bad. I don't think."

A moment passed by.

And then Natsu reached around to feel the back of his head. When his thick fingers brushed through the wild mess she'd made, he tensed. He abruptly stood, yanked off the towel from around his neck, and leaned over to inspect the damage done in the mirror.

For a while, he didn't say anything, just simply stared.

Almost like he was in awe of how horrible his hair looked. Like he was surprised that she'd managed to make it look that bad.

The embarrassment threatened to eat Lucy alive.

And then Natsu said, "Good thing you aren't a hairdresser. You're shit at this, too."

Just like that, the embarrassment fled and Lucy felt herself puffing up in offense. She pouted and propped a hand on her hip. "Oh, so now you're keeping score, huh?"

Their eyes met in the mirror, dark green on bittersweet brown, and he flashed her a crooked grin that dimpled just one cheek. That look, as devastating as it was to her heart, was answer enough.

Lucy closed her eyes and huffed out a laugh, dropping the scissors on top of the counter. "Okay, so I'm not the best at cutting hair," she said with a shrug as Natsu combed through the back of his hair. "But luckily, I know someone who is and he just so happened to work for me a while back."

Before Natsu could reply to the life line she was attempting to throw out, Gajeel's large frame filled the doorway.

If Natsu held any hesitation on enlisting a stranger for help, Lucy thought it disappeared the instant Gajeel's eyes fell on the cotton-candy locks of hair coating the bathroom floor and the butchered job sitting on the top of Natsu's head.

He let out a roar of laughter so loud, he had no choice but to stagger away, leaving Natsu and Lucy both red faced in embarrassment over the monstrosity they both had a part in creating. Mostly Lucy.

For a moment, she had even forgotten they were in Gajeel's home. She had gotten so caught up with the simple task of annihilating Natsu's hair, her mind had totally dismissed the fact that her friend was still lurking around.

"I think I'll take anything at this point," Natsu grumbled, squinting at Lucy and probing his fingers through the nape of his neck which was less hair at this point and more clumps.

"That's probably for the best," Lucy said in apology. But when she looked at Natsu, he surprisingly didn't look angry over the absolute mauling she did to him. No, in fact...

...He looked almost happy. Like he'd had fun?

Despite his 'keeping track' - a bad hair cut with a friend was a new experience for him. Perhaps it wasn't one Lucy would want to have, but it had to be better than most he'd had.

"Who is this guy?" Natsu asked, whipping the towel back around his neck to try and brush off some of the spiky pink clippings that were sticking around his throat.

Lucy could still hear Gajeel choking on his own laughter down the hall and she tried very hard to ignore it. From the narrowing look in Natsu's eyes though, she wasn't sure if he was going to be able to for much longer, so she hurried to pull out her phone.

"His name is Cancer, he was one of my bodyguards growing up." She edged in the way of the door, to serve as an additional barrier between Natsu and his new, obnoxious roommate.

"So you...trust him," Natsu said hesitantly.

Lucy smiled as she held her phone up to her ear. "There was a time when I trusted him with my life. Your hair will be in good hands, I promise," she told him.

"At this point you should just go bald," Gajeel snarked from the kitchen, dissolving into another round of laughter that made Natsu scowl.

"I won't be the one going bald," he promised under his breath.

"I heard that! Touch my hair and I'll ship ya off to Timbuktu, squirt."

Not having a clue where that was, Natsu just turned an oblivious look to Lucy who was already beginning to develop a kind of migraine she had a feeling would become chronic.

He laughed at the expression on Lucy's face, actually grinned and pointed, seemingly far too amused by what was going on than her. Which she didn't really understand, considering he was standing in the remnants of his hair's dignity.

Lucy leaned against the sink, phone pressed between her shoulder and chin, listening to the ringing as she prayed Cancer would pick up.

On the third ring, he did, and Lucy quickly explained the situation to him, with Natsu unhelpfully filling in the blanks she tried to gloss over.

"I might have taken too much off the back."

"I'm pretty sure I may have a bald spot now," Natsu teased back.

By the end of the call, Lucy was torn between wanting to smother him in the towel around his neck, or laugh at the way the back of his head resembled something similar to a porcupine.

When she hung up with Cancer, Lucy hopped off the counter and cringed a bit when she got a good look at her handiwork from a different perspective. "Wow. That really is bad."

"Yeah." Natsu grinned at her. He reached out to her before she could register what he was doing, plucking a feathery lock of pink hair from her shirt. He swirled it between his index finger and thumb, looking at the strands with interest.

Hesitant, she guided her fingers back up through his hair while he was distracted. She felt him go still at the touch, his eyes blanketing over her while her fingertips probed at the shorter areas against his scalp.

She thought she felt him wobble at the press and light scratch of her fingers through his hair, as if his knees had given out for a second.

A surge of pride filled her, but she did her best to ignore it.

Instead, she concentrated on feeling the different lengths of his hair, from the patches that resembled a perfectly manicured English lawn to the ones that remained untamed and overgrown. How had she not _noticed_ this before?

And as her concentration on his patched hair wavered, she realized there was something else she had not noticed while she'd been busy with examining the damage she had done: Natsu was staring. At her face.

It was a curious look, a tad wonder mixed in with awe.

Lucy swallowed, blinking at him rather dumbly.

"Hey…" he started, his tone of voice making her mouth run dry and her heart speed up. "Thanks… for trying."

His lips quirked in what would have been an amused smile, had the longing in his eyes not turned it into something else entirely.

"What're you talking about?" Lucy asked, subconsciously reflecting his voice. It dropped down in pitch, her nerves shaky, pausing in her finger's pursuit through his scraggly locks. "I am pretty sure I made you look like some kind of Disney villian."

Natsu snorted, the mention seeming to have evoked a memory. His eyes brightened. "Well at least you didn't give me a _scar_."

He gloated over his pun, his grin spreading across his face. The cheeky twinkle never left his eyes.

"Well, I think you have enough of those already," Lucy laughed softly, unconsciously lifting a finger to trail against the one on his cheek. The freshest, barely healed, a reminder of what had happened mere days ago.

It all still seemed so unreal.

And yet here he was, with her, laughing about failed haircuts in Gajeel's bathroom. Lucy smiled up at him, eyes full of warmth.

Her heart gave a start as his eyes hooded, and their noses bumped together. Jolting as if an electrical current had swept into her, Lucy brought more distance between them. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she realized their closeness, and the expectant tension that had loomed over them both.

Was it her imagination, or did Natsu look… disappointed?

He licked his lips, but then the hunger disappeared from his eyes as he shook his head with a small smile. Lucy would have paid to know what he was thinking.

Alas, there were things her money could not buy.

What it could get her, however, was a decent haircut. Cancer should be here any moment now. Lucy herself was no expert in the art of styling hair, but she feared if there was anything salvageable in the mess she had created, it would amount to a crewcut.

She couldn't even begin to picture Natsu with his hair cropped off completely, cocking her head as she tried to imagine it on him. She shivered.

Natsu's brows furrowed under her excruciating stare. "What?"

"What would _you_ do with your hair?" she asked after a moment's hesitation.

Natsu hummed pensively, turning to examine himself in the mirror once more. He grimaced.

"Have you ever… I mean, how'd they cut it, usually?" she tried, scared to hit a nerve. Unfortunately, that seemed to be exactly what she did.

Natsu's eyes darkened, and he stared at himself in the cold light of the bathroom lamp with empty eyes. He shrugged. "They just sheared it all off super short once it got too long, to save time."

Oh. No, Lucy decided, a crewcut was out of the question. The thought shouldn't even have crossed her mind. Forcing a smile onto her face, she stepped beside him.

"Let's do something special then," she suggested, a warm hand coming to rest on his shoulder. He turned his head, and she watched in relief as a smile returned to his face. "There's nothing Cancer can't do, and if I have to force him to give you extensions..."

She giggled at the thought, even though the joke was lost on Natsu.

"I don't wanna have an extended haircut," he complained. "Just make it quick."

This was enough to make Lucy laugh out loud, no matter how she tried to keep her face still.

"No," she clarified, "I meant he could even give you long hair, like mine, if you wanted to."

She bit her lip, hoping she hadn't just sparked an insane idea, but Natsu just laughed. "Yeah, right," he snorted, but tousled the longer hair on top of his head lovingly. "I _would_ like to keep those, though…Looks kinda cool, don't you think? Maybe we should just leave it like this!"

Oh dear.

"That's out of the question," Lucy chided in amusement. "You can't show up anywhere like this! But I'm sure there's a way to keep some of it."

Cancer came up with a simple solution to their dilemma not much later, and settled for an undercut.

Natsu was delighted, and that would have been enough for Lucy even if the outcome had not been to her liking.

Which it was. Very much so.

There'd never been a disaster Cancer hadn't been able to fix.

* * *

Natsu gets to experience domestic life for the first time in...forever? Let's hope that he can settle well...

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Next time! Chapter 22: Sucker Punch


	23. Sucker Punch

For those of you who were worried by the fluff last chapter, you were right. More angst ahead! Enjoy the emotional turmoil our two favs are going through *smooches*

 **PLEASE READ:**

We are aware that this update is late and we apologize. We don't plan to update late but sometimes it just happens that way because, unfortunately, our lives and our families come first before fanfiction. We know it must be irritating to have to wait another 12 to 24 hours for an update but it is just as irritating to us when we receive reviews in that time along the lines of **"UPDATE"** or **"You're late again! :("**. This is a holiday weekend for most of us and so we're very busy spending time with our families and friends. We're sorry that we're updating later than usual. That being said, though, please do not leave us reviews like this. We will not feel compelled to update any faster - in fact, these sort of reviews have the opposite effect and make it hard to update.

All in all, please be kind to us. We're trying our best! And we know the majority of you are very supportive and understanding, but there are a handful who see fit to spam us in reviews and PMs too. Thank you to those who continue to offer kind words and helpful critique! We appreciate you all very much! And we love reading what you have to say.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy the upcoming holiday (fellow Americans). We also hope that you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **rated** : _M  
_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

 **Sucker Punch  
**

 _an unexpected punch or blow  
_

* * *

Lucy was dying.

She was certain of it. There was no other way she could have described the sheer agony of what she was experiencing. In truth she didn't know why she had even volunteered to the harebrained scheme Natsu and Gajeel had confronted her with. Exercising at the ass crack of dawn. What had she been thinking?

Nevermind Gajeel, who was practically built like a train and almost as unstoppable as a steel wall, but Natsu was just as bad. And he was jogging with a gunshot wound in his side. Sure it was a graze, but it was still an injury that would have had most people laying in bed and taking the well deserved time off. Of course Natsu wouldn't know the meaning of that with as much energy as he had.

And he had plenty to burn. Enough to power a small city, of that Lucy was positive.

There was no way she could keep up with them, she couldn't even try. And Lucy had the sinking suspicion those two were going easy on her. This had been a terrible idea. With as far as Lucy lagged behind them, she could hardly see Natsu's pink hair, even though he would never leave her too far behind. Without fail, he would stop and wait for her, as if believing she would have died from heatstroke somewhere in a ditch if left unsupervised.

Her greatest moment of shame had come about two thirds through their "easy morning routine": her leg had cramped, and with a wail, she had started to pathetically hop along behind them, scared to lose them altogether and end up in a ditch. Dead, probably.

But of course her cries of agony had not went ignored - even worse. Gajeel and Natsu had taken a good look at her, then at one another, and then had opted to use her as a training weight.

And so they'd continued for another half an hour, with Lucy being exchanged from back to back, dying of shame, until finally they'd let her down onto her own feet again. Ten minutes later Lucy had begged to be picked up again - but to no avail this time. The last agonizing kilometres before the finish line she'd thought her lungs might just burst.

And now, with her face pressed against the wonderfully cool tiles of Gajeel's kitchen floor, she still had not regained her strength. Her low groans went ignored, and she was certain once or twice one of them simply stepped over her.

The shower turned on and off, and on and off again, and Lucy still lay on the ground. The burning in her legs was slowly beginning to subside. She would simply take up permanent residency on these tiles, even pay rent if need be. No one could make her get up.

Moments later, she realized no one _had_ to make her get up.

She yelped as strong arms lifted her up, steadying her around her waist and the hollow of her knees, and she had just enough presence of mind to fling her arms around Natsu's neck.

"You back with the living yet?" he asked, grinning down at her slyly, to which she just huffed and rested her red head on his shoulder, and out of his sight. The tiles had helped, but not enough: her skin was still heated.

She gurgled in response, getting the strange floating sensation she was being carried somewhere. Her fingers curled into the back of Natsu's scarf, which was clean and wrapped snugly around his throat. It made a perfect handhold, and it seemed he didn't mind, which was good because she had no intention of letting go.

She felt dampness against her skin, realizing it must have come from Natsu since he had just gotten out of the shower himself.

"No, leave me to die on the tiles, it is the only way," Lucy whined, causing him to snort in laughter.

She felt air displace as Natsu pushed a door open, leading way to a hot and humid room. The bathroom. Lucy whimpered as Natsu carried her over to where a bath had been drawn out.

"Come on Lucy, we've got a nice hot bath for you," he wheedled. "Doesn't that sound nice?"

"No." Her stubborn refusal to budge from the tiles had been shifted to him, and her arms locked firmer around his neck. Tight enough to make him choke a little.

But he showed no mercy.

She felt his hold loosen, gasping when he pulled away completely. Her feet plopped to the ground at the same time her arms pulled even tighter in reflex, and the next instant she found herself hugging him close to her body as she stood in front of him. He cackled quietly, and she pulled her head back to look at him with as much offense she could muster.

"You dropped me!" she accused him, and his devious grin just grew.

"Maybe it's because you smell so bad," he retorted without batting an eyelash, and Lucy's face drained of all colour. She was about to pull back, but Natsu's hands came up to land on her forearms, where he held her close.

"W-well that's only because you two put me through hell!" she whined. "I didn't ask for this!"

"That's true," he said, grin still ever-present on his face. "I did."

Her mouth dropped open as she stared up at him. He was the cause for all her misery!

And now he just shrugged, nonchalantly. "I just thought it'd be more fun with you. And, well… it was."

His eyes twinkled as he leaned in closer, taunting her with his smirk.

Her breath caught in her throat. This was _too_ close.

It was hard for her to support herself with wobbly legs, but she found herself unable to move from her position pressed against Natsu for entirely different reasons. Her mouth opened and closed, wordless in whatever thoughts she tried to conjure.

Just when she thought everything would tilt on its side, her heart jumping into her throat, Natsu's hand pressed against the curve of her back. It was warm, almost blisteringly hot even against her already flushed skin, and she felt it through the thin material of her shirt like a brand.

Breath catching in the back of her throat she found herself locking eyes with Natsu. His were so focused, so _green_. Affection tinted them, along with something that had her nerves prickling like little bolts of electricity were dancing in her veins. His gaze was hooded, his smirk sly, and only growing with each passing second.

"You used me as a kettle ball," Lucy managed to gasp out, far too quiet for her liking.

There was a brush against the side of her face, Natsu's spare hand tracing his fingers across her cheekbone in small circles.

"That's also true," he allowed, but it seemed like he was no longer interested in following the thread of their conversation. In fact, Lucy was all but losing it herself. Natsu was close, the heat from his body pressing against her cheeks and the tickle of his bangs gliding against the ridge of her nose.

An ache bloomed in her chest, a desperation pressing into her heart that was reflecting back at her. She could see it in his eyes.

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, that would anchor her back to reality, but before she could get as much as a sound out, Natsu dipped his head.

His lips brushed against hers, and he swallowed her small gasp as he sealed her mouth with his. All thought and reason left her, the only things existing in her mind the feeling of his chapped lips moving against hers, the way the fingers on her cheek tightened their hold and he slightly tilted his head.

It was a hungry kiss, but at the same time soft and careful, as if he was scared of demanding too much. The intensity of her feelings was not something Lucy had fully expected. She felt lightheaded, her hands seeking more support as they tangled in his hair. He made the faintest sound when she tugged, his mouth opening slightly, and she gently nipped on his bottom lip before pulling away, eyes fluttering open.

His expression sent a shivering jolt down her spine, a rush of heat moving through her limbs which almost made her squirm in his grasp. She licked her lips, the motion attracting him, and his thumb dragged along her cheek as he pressed forward again.

Eagerness fluttered in her to stop herself from melting into his chest, her fingers gripped onto his hair and shoulders with increasing urgency. Why hadn't they done this before? She couldn't help but wonder what she had been thinking.

His mouth moved against hers, cautious, but growing with confidence the longer it lasted. He was good at this. Expert even. Almost unbidden, the reason she had held off sprang to her mind, and she remembered.

Lucy pulled away with a gasp, her arms sliding down from around his neck and her heels slapping against the bathroom floor. Hands against his biceps, she pushed some distance between them, enough to make Natsu blink in confusion.

"Lucy?" Natsu asked, his voice thick in ways that made her stomach warm pleasantly. "What's the matter?"

Her hands dropped to her sides, her eyes flicking to the ground in shame before moving back up.

"Natsu…" she almost whispered, afraid what she was going to say might come out the wrong way. "I'm not sure if we should be doing this."

She watched as his face clouded over with confusion and incomprehension, and then fell.

"Oh," he started, and then paused. A number of emotions washed over his face, his jaw clenching and unclenching. "But, Lucy…"

He looked awfully helpless all of a sudden, brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of her actions.

"Look, Natsu," Lucy pleaded, "I think I just - I need a moment. Can we talk about this after I take my bath?"

Slowly, seeing the desperation in her eyes, he nodded. "Okay," he conceded, voice low and deflated, and her chest ached terribly as he looked away and ran his hand through his hair. Lucy bit her lip.

She felt just as lost as him, but with the chaos raging in her chest it was impossible for her to think straight. She needed time to think, thoroughly and unhurriedly. He cast her another glance, door in hand, and the hope and uncertainty in his eyes made her want to want to run over and take him into her arms, to kiss him again and melt away both their troubles.

But she couldn't.

Because it wouldn't be right.

For the longest time, Natsu had _serviced_ clients. She couldn't help the thought that even though she wasn't paying him for his time anymore, in a way she would still be taking advantage of him.

And not only that, Lucy had the sinking suspicion that Natsu wouldn't understand the intimacy required for a relationship. Or even what one was. All of those things which society played a role in shaping had all been deprived from him.

Lucy wasn't sure what she wanted, so she was even less convinced Natsu knew what he wanted.

Still, sinking into the hot bath was precisely what her aching body needed. She leaned back to relax and to consider her options. There, stretched out in Gajeel's tub, she was able to take control of her own fraying, emotional state.

As much as she would have loved to pursue something with Natsu, it wasn't the right time for him. He hadn't been out of the hospital for long, or out of the ring either. It could be he kissed Lucy simply because he'd latched onto her with that one track mind of his, because she was _there_.

He had more options available to him than just Lucy, and he deserved a chance to explore them.

They would remain friends. There would be no crossing that grey line again. It was honestly for the best. So, satisfied with her final decision, Lucy relaxed her sore body, unknowing to the mess she had tangled in Natsu's head.

The man himself was staring at a single white candle, lit on Gajeel's…. Table would be too generous of a word. It was nothing more than a fold out poker table.

Natsu for his part could not understand the mixed signals he was getting. One minute she was hot, the next she was cold. He wasn't sure what was holding her back, but he didn't know what was going on.

Idly, his fingers plucked at the flame dancing on the wick in front of him. The trick was to touch light and quick to prevent burns - the fact that his skin had seemed to thicken after so many years helped too. Seeing the fire flicker in front of him had always soothed him, even if it was in the Ring.

Practicing fire swallowing and touching it had been part of his training even though it was never relevant in the Ring. Igneel had always been able to control the heat way better than Natsu.

It had been so long since Natsu had seen anything like it.

Sadness tinged Natsu at the directions his thoughts took, combining it with the conflicting confusion he already felt. Before he could absolve himself of those feelings though, he picked up the sounds of water draining through the pipes.

Natsu's hands flattened against the table, and he straightened his back as he waited impatiently for Lucy to emerge

She could take the world's record for longest amount of time soaking in a bathtub.

An agonizing fifteen minutes later, Lucy emerged in a pair of leggings and a crop top that had Natsu struggling to keep his eyes riveted to her face.

Her long hair hung around her shoulders in clumpy locks, the edges curling slightly. He felt a flutter of warmth rest in his chest at the pout in her lips and her dishevelled appearance.

She worked a towel through her hair.

Barefoot, skin glistening, and makeup free, she looked radiant. Just as beautiful as she had in her long, slinky dresses - though she did look much more comfortable. Radiant and rumpled; in other words, a perfect mess.

Her hands stilled when she spotted him staring, mouth parting as if she were about to say something.

But, then Lucy looked away...and stalked right past him into the kitchen.

Natsu felt his back tense as he watched her go, confusion twisting his face. He'd caught the flash of guilt in her eyes. And he didn't understand.

Had he done something wrong?

He didn't remember - in fact, he recalled only laughter and happiness and fun. They'd even _kissed_. It had been the most perfect moment of his life… Her sweet lips warm on his, finally, after fantasizing for far too long. In that brief second where they'd been connected, he'd felt that same weightlessness.

His whole body had sung.

" _Can we talk about this after I take my bath?"_

Natsu frowned.

Maybe...maybe it hadn't been the same for her.

Something in his chest clenched terribly, an unpleasant shiver running along his spine and refusing to leave his stomach. What if she didn't feel the same things for him as he felt for her?

Whatever it was he felt. He wasn't quite sure. But oh, it felt good.

He watched as she filled herself a glass of water, and couldn't help but feel she was buying time. Avoiding him. The knot in his stomach tightened.

The sinking feeling that he wouldn't like what she was about to tell him - sooner or later - festered inside him, becoming a certainty.

So when she came back at last, sitting down beside him (he noticed how she kept her distance, and how the usually so carefree atmosphere was full of tension, making her act awkward), he already had went into a state of self-depreciation.

She hadn't liked it.

But her eyes… he'd been so sure her eyes, and her entire reaction, had told a different story. Why did she regret it all of a sudden? Something had happened, right before she'd pushed him away…

Lucy took a sip of her water before carefully placing it down on the wobbly little table.

"Natsu, I'm sorry," she said in a rush that left him staring.

His heart clenched down as he watched her avert her eyes down to the hem of her shirt. Her fingers twisted with the threads, as if trying to distract herself from the words Natsu could sense were going to hurt.

"We should have never done that." Lucy swallowed, finally meeting Natsu's eyes. He hardly even registered the fact, his mouth falling open and brows knitting together. "Kiss, I mean."

Yeah, he figured. What he didn't get was why; he thought her interest in him was genuine. But Lucy was biting her bottom lip, not providing any more information than what she had already given.

He felt like there was sandpaper rubbing against the tissue of his heart.

"I don't understand," Natsu mumbled. It was impossible to keep the hurt from her rejection from his voice, but he stayed put next to her. "I thought we - "

What _had_ he thought? Natsu's emotions were in flux.

"Was it bad?" Natsu asked instead as he scrambled to understand this complicated woman.

He wondered if perhaps his _performance_ was at fault. If that was the case, he could learn what she liked. Natsu liked to think of the skills he was good at; fighting and fucking were two of them. Perhaps the only ones. And he'd always felt self-confident, proud even at times, of what he could achieve with his body, one way or the other. But the thought that maybe she didn't like it made him feel self conscious and shy.

His heart felt tight with a multitude of emotions he was powerless to bring a voice to. But he felt a maddening burn in his chest that made him crave answers.

"What?" Lucy's cheeks burned a pretty shade of pink. Her tongue peeked out from between full lips, swiping along her mouth in a distracting pass.

Natsu's eyes followed the motion like a cat until she spoke again.

"No, no!" she rushed out at once. "The kiss was fine! It was… great."

That only made him frown deeper, Lucy's words conflicting her actions. "Then why-?"

She shook her head and lifted her hand up to stop him mid-sentence, missing the flair of irritation in his eyes over being cut off.

"Natsu," she said gently.

He forced his impatience for straightforward answers under control.

"The timing just isn't right. You need to meet new people before you rush into anything. You haven't been out for very long either, what you need right now is a friend, not a lover."

"A friend," Natsu repeated, his voice drawing out dead-panned. Now he was _really_ confused.

He thought Lucy was already his friend. Why would kissing her change that? His lack of understanding made him feel so frustratingly stupid, and Natsu raked a hand through his hair. His fingers scratched at the short, even hair at the back of his head. The simple way she explained it told him the answer _should_ have been obvious.

It wasn't.

"I thought we were friends already." Natsu's voice was tinged with a hint of plea. He met her warm eyes, trying to find the answer that was so elusive.

Her hand came to twist around his wrist. Lucy's eyes were widening, as if she were afraid he would draw away. A silly thought, because where would he go?

"We are, Natsu." Lucy's voice seemed desperate to have him believe that. And he did without question. That didn't put his mind at ease, especially when she continued, "But friends don't normally kiss one another."

"What difference does it make?" Natsu asked. Pulling his hand away from her, his frustration boiled over. He didn't see why it was a big deal or overly complicated. They had both enjoyed it, or at least Natsu _had._ "It's just a dumb kiss! They don't mean anything and I've had tons of them before with strangers!"

Lucy fell quiet at that, but her expression grew very sad. Natsu felt his heart freeze in his chest.

Suddenly he felt cold.

He couldn't see it, but he had the uncanny feeling like he had just stepped on a landmine. The very one Lucy could see, that he was blind to.

Lucy reached out again, and this time he didn't pull away. She squeezed his hand, her face pale with knowledge she kept from him. Numbly, his fingers curled around hers in an automatic response.

"They are supposed to mean something, Natsu," Lucy said in a quiet voice.

She swallowed, nodding to herself and standing up from the table. She picked up her glass and dropped it into the sink. Natsu watched her move, her words unsettling him.

It was such a plain sentence, but Natsu felt like Lucy's words were weighed down by things she wasn't ready to share with him.

Even now, what was she trying to protect him from?

"Lucy…?"

She shook her head, a curtain of blond hair sliding over her shoulder and down her back. The way she chewed her bottom lip was distracting, and Natsu wondered if that was a nervous habit of hers.

She seemed to do it a lot when she was hiding something.

"I should probably go."

* * *

Looks like Natsu is having some trouble adjusting to normal life... And Lucy is struggling with doubts of her own!

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Next time! Chapter 23: Break!


	24. Break!

Thank you so much for your support and understanding everyone! It makes us so happy to know that you empathize with us :) Also, thank you for the positive feedback and all the reviews! We loved reading your reactions ahaha.

Please enjoy this chapter as well!

* * *

 **rated** : _M  
_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

 **Break!**

 _a command by the referee to fighters in a clinch to separate_

* * *

Natsu was growing restless. His fingers flexed with built up tension and he paced around the thin futon Gajeel was sprawled on.

Occasionally Gajeel would lift his gaze from his newspaper to glare at Natsu. The other man didn't notice these looks that were growing in angry intensity for every lap Natsu made. He didn't even break stride as Gajeel stood up. He only flinched back when suddenly a rolled up newspaper smacked him square in the back of his head.

Natsu threw his arms up with a snarl, his body coiling reflexively for a fight. The automatic response came to him with such frightening ease, Natsu immediately froze when his brain slowly registered the fact it was just Gajeel standing in front of him. Adrenaline shook through him, making his arms tremble over being startled out of his deep thoughts.

"You okay, brat?" Gajeel asked, his eyes narrowed onto him in suspicious slits. "You're lookin' a little tense."

Feeling very transparent under Gajeel's glare, Natsu forced himself to lower his arms. It was difficult, the need to protect himself and to _fight_ rearing up in him like a conditioned response. It was instinct, and the pulse of it was burned into his very blood.

He took a deep, shuddering breath. Natsu needed to calm down. But just because he needed to, didn't make it easy. No, he struggled just to breathe without the eager sensation of fire burning through his lungs. He was tense, on edge, and _craving_ a fight.

It didn't help that Lucy hadn't come by in a while. Her absence felt like a void, their argument blistering in his mind like it was a festering illness. He was still so confused over what happened to them, and asking Gajeel for his help in the matter wasn't just insane, it was entirely out of the question.

Natsu really just wanted to hit something.

That sense of disorientation he had been experiencing since getting out was only growing worse as he realized there was so much he didn't know. Natsu wasn't even sure he could ever catch up to all the time he had lost. It was frustrating just to sit inside and be left to his own thoughts.

Sure, he went outside with Gajeel to exercise and run errands, but it wasn't enough. Natsu was itching with a surplus of energy that had nowhere to go, and he knew it was only a matter of time before it went somewhere. Never before had he been given so much time to relax.

And he was using all of that time to turn around the argument he had with Lucy in his head.

Natsu blinked at Gajeel's sneering face, realizing he had yet to answer him.

"I'm fine." Natsu's cheeks warmed, folding his arms over his chest and glaring away.

Gajeel's scowl deepened with disbelief, and suddenly Natsu felt himself under the other man's intense scrutiny. Natsu tensed, his shoulders stiffening aggressively and his jaw flexing.

Red eyes stayed glued on his face until Gajeel backed off with a shake to his head.

"This ain't gonna work." Gajeel collected his fallen newspaper to flop back onto the thin seat he was sprawled over. "You've got too much… of _them_ left in ya, Salamander."

"Don't call me that," Natsu spat, suddenly dangerously calm. "Or d'ya want me to call you Black Steel, huh?"

He leaned in closer, invading the taller man's personal space. A vein in his forehead twitched angrily, and Gajeel himself seemed rather ticked off by now.

"Oi, you better hold your tongue," he growled. "What will Lucy say if ya don't behave?"

For a reason Natsu himself couldn't quite comprehend, hearing Lucy's name was the drop that made the barrel run over. Lucy wouldn't say anything. Because Lucy wasn't here.

Maybe she didn't care for him at all anymore.

The thick air between them spiked with tension, and they could see in each other's eyes that one wrong movement would make the other snap - and suddenly Natsu really, really wanted to snap.

It seemed even Gajeel, after so many years of freedom and strenuous self-control, had not been able to entirely shake some old habits. They died hard after all, just like him.

Natsu's hands pushed against his chest, shoving him backwards.

It wasn't even a hard shove considering Gajeel was already seated. But it was the intent alone which had that black look entering his eyes. Natsu's heart thundered with the promise of a good fight, ignoring the injuries still scattered and half healed on both of them.

Gajeel surged to his feet in the matter of seconds, taking only a few deep, ragged breaths to understand what happened. Until he went on automatic. He was taller and broader than Natsu, and as those thick arms tackled him right around his middle, he knew in the back of his head that he was in for a good fight.

He knew he shouldn't have wanted this, he _knew_ it. But he wasn't thinking about that anymore. It was just the fight. Just an opponent. Natsu let out a snarl as the force of Gajeel's attack swung him into the back of the futon.

His arms loosened enough for Natsu to slip through, who coiled his legs under him to drive an elbow in Gajeel's stomach. It brought some staggered space between them, a heavy grunt drawing from the other.

Anger burned in red eyes and Gajeel came after him, both men clearing the furniture. Unhindered, they could go all out.

\- : : -

Lucy sighed, locking her car door without looking back as she headed for the entrance to Gajeel's building.

This visit wasn't exactly one she looked forward to.

But she really needed to talk things out with Natsu. She'd felt absolutely terrible these last way she had just up and left that day had come back to haunt her as much as the kiss itself, or the mess of a talk they'd had afterwards.

Her legs felt heavy as she dragged them up the stairs, as if they wanted her to turn around and leave her bad conscience behind. But that was not something Lucy could do.

By the time she'd made it to the third story, she was a nervous wreck. A little out of breath and sweaty, too, but she knew this was not the only reason her heart beat so fast.

She was about to knock when she heard a crash from inside. Jolting, Lucy's hands stopped mid-air. Her mind tried to classify the sound, and the only solution it came up with was that something very heavy must have dropped into… something unstable.

Carefully, she knocked. Seconds passed, and nothing happened.

"Gajeel?" she called out nervously. There was another sound, and this time Lucy pressed her ear against the door. She wouldn't have had to, because the next cry was so loud she flinched right back.

From the sounds of it, they were trying to bash each other's heads in.

Shit.

Lucy fumbled in her handbag, having given up the knocking with the suspicion it'd go ignored no matter how hard she tried. She produced her keyring, frantically searching for the right key. She'd never used it before.

The first she tried didn't fit, but the second clicked, and the door swung open for her.

"Natsu! Gajeel!" she called as she ran into the flat, finding them sprawled out beside the couch. Where the living room table had once stood, there only were some pathetic aluminum table-legs poking the air, the tabletop itself buried beneath the brawling men.

Natsu barely avoided a punch straight to the face, rolling them over with a grunt.

Lucy felt like she was in the Ring all over again.

What was worse, neither of them had even noticed she burst in. They were too involved with trying to beat one another into ground beef.

Swearing over the idiocy of the males in her life, Lucy sprinted to the kitchen. She fumbled for the sink, tearing open the faucet and yanking the detachable nozzle. Gajeel was going to have a fit when he came to his senses, but it would serve them both right for giving her a heart attack.

"That's enough!" Lucy shouted, her voice cracking at an uncomfortable pitch. She didn't wait to see if their thick skulls had picked up on her, instead letting a stream of cold water spray on the wrestling men.

They both jerked at the foreign sensation, the water soaking them both in seconds. They scrambled off one another, chests heaving and hair plastered to their foreheads.

The heat from attacking one another ebbed from their eyes. Slowly, they registered their surroundings, finding the source of their current wet state.

"Lucy?" Gajeel panted, swiping his tongue over a split lip. He scowled at her and the door that was swung open behind her. "How the hell did you get in?"

"Is that really important?" Lucy's voice was shrill, clutching the dripping hose to her chest as if it were a holy cross. "I just came up and heard a lot of loud noises! Imagine my shock when I see you two beating one another to pulps!"

Natsu exchanged a glance with Gajeel, rubbing at his bruised jaw. "Whoa, so you heard a lot of strange noises and just decided to come in? That's not safe, Lucy."

"Thought you had better sense than that, bunny girl," Gajeel continued off Natsu's thought, effectively making Lucy feel like she was losing her grip on sanity. "What if we were robbers?"

Wait, were they teaming up against her?

"You two idiots were the only ones here, and you smashed your table!" Lucy spluttered, pointing down at the splintered monstrosity. "And you're calling _me_ irresponsible for coming in?"

Natsu and Gajeel had the gall to look at one another in consideration. Then, as if rehearsed, the glanced back at Lucy and nodded as one.

This wasn't going like Lucy had pictured it. At all.

They'd been supposed to hang their heads in shame, to fall to their knees and beg for forgiveness. And now they were acting as if she were the culprit?!

The only thing she was guilty of was secretly getting a copy of Gajeel's key! Granted, it _was_ a little dubious, and could be considered trespassing… but that was not important right now!

"You two…" she started, her voice trembling with contained rage. "Get up, right now, and apologize!"

The two dumbfoundedly blinked at her, and as they looked back at each other for a second Lucy thought they'd burst into laughter. But one glance in her direction made them reconsider.

Grumpily (and maybe just the least bit ashamed after all), they got up. It was Gajeel who extended his hand first, looking anywhere but Natsu. Lucy thought she'd landed in a kindergarten instead of the flat of two grown men.

"'M sorry," Gajeel mumbled, barely audible. "I'm smarter so I should have stopped you."

He flinched when Natsu's hand clenched forcefully around his, a forced smile on his face.

"No, _I'm_ sorry," he replied. "I should have won right away instead of playing with you."

Lucy was speechless. Their hands were locked in a death grip, grins turning slightly insane around the edges, and Lucy held her weapon of choice out again, determined to put an end to this once and for all.

If she had to treat them like misbehaving pets, so be it.

She first aimed for Natsu, spraying him in the face repeatedly until he staggered backwards with a yelp, and then sent one well-aimed splash right onto Gajeel's forehead. For a second she was convinced he actually hissed at her, but then she realized it was Pantherlily to his side, who had received a few stray droplets of water.

"Do you two even know what an apology _is?_ " Lucy asked in exasperation, putting the hose away to set her hands on her hips.

Gajeel opened his mouth, but Lucy made a noise somewhere between a shush and hiss. They both had taken about five years off her life with that stunt alone.

Now that it was quiet, and they were standing in the wreckage of Gajeel's place, Lucy shifted her weight from foot to foot. The real reason why she came here was dragging to the forefront and she couldn't ignore it now.

Awkwardly, Lucy's gaze flitted to Natsu who was busying himself with plucking his shirt from his chest. Now that the excitement had worn off, she had a feeling he was avoiding looking at her. It seemed she was not the only one who remembered their last encounter.

"Ah, Gajeel, Levy wanted me to tell you if you don't stop avoiding her calls she's going to hack into the postal service network and change your name on your forwarding address to Officer Jerkbutt." Lucy tucked a nervous lock of hair behind her ear.

Gajeel frowned, glancing between the two of them as if sensing there was something hanging in the air between them. Lucy eyed her friend, somehow managing to convey the message she wanted to speak with Natsu alone. Gajeel grunted, giving Natsu one last hard look before heading towards his room.

"Guess I better call the shrimp," he acknowledged. Gajeel shot Lucy one last warning look before he stomped off to retrieve his phone.

She locked eyes with Natsu at last, then. At once, the already awkward atmosphere shifted to plain discomfort.

"Hey," she said, as if greeting him for the first time, and he smiled hesitantly.

They sat down on the couch, both careful to keep the right amount of distance.

The silence stretched out a little too heavily, and Lucy started rummaging through her bag a little too loudly.

She produced a little package, carefully wrapped in fabric, that revealed itself to be a book as she freed it.

"I brought this for you," she told him quietly, holding it out with both hands.

It was bound in leather, with gold carvings, and looked quite old and expensive.

"Fairy tales," he read out loud, and slowly, a warm, genuine smile stretched across his face. "Thanks, Lucy."

"Natsu, I'm sorry," she burst out, letting go of the book to let her hands drop into her lap. "I really am. I shouldn't have left like that."

Natsu exhaled slowly, waiting for her to bring her gaze back up. "You're back now," he said, almost softly, as if he was scared to say something that might make her leave again. "You won't leave again, right? Like that, I mean."

Lucy shook her head. "No. I promise."

He nodded, but remained silent. Expectant. And Lucy knew he deserved an explanation.

But it felt like the words were stuck in her throat, and every time she arduously coughed one up it seemed to be the wrong one.

"I…" she began quietly. "I don't want you to think I regret doing what we did. Because I don't. Not really. But I also think we shouldn't do it again. Not because I don't want to, but because it would be wrong."

Natsu looked up at her and she hated the hesitance she could see so plain in his eyes. The book she had given him was heavy, but he held it between his fingers like it was some kind of delicate prize. Even as unsure as he was of their standing, the gratitude for something as small as a hand me down book was almost heart breaking.

He breathed out a steady stream of air from his nose, no doubt his mind trying to rationalize what Lucy had told him. For all that she was a master at words, she was at a total loss on how to explain to him how she felt. Or even why this was so hard on her too.

"Lucy," he said finally, her attention sparking to him. He was still drenched, his head arching towards her so she could get a better look at the bruise beginning to darken the side of his jaw.

Gajeel really hadn't held back.

"I don't get what you keep trying to tell me." Natsu dropped his hand holding the book to his side and reached out with his free hand. Tan fingers captured hers, warm and just a little damp with water.

She could feel the roughness of his calluses graze her skin. He squeezed her hand, but gently - unlike the vice grip he had on Gajeel earlier.

"I don't think I'll ever get it, Lucy." Natsu met her eyes. "But what I _do_ know is that you don't want to kiss me. That's okay, we don't have to do that."

Lucy opened her mouth to protest, knowing full well how much she had enjoyed that soul searing kiss. His mouth had caressed hers in such an exhilarating way, it was _all_ she could think about. But he wasn't done, clearing his throat awkwardly to cut her off before he continued.

Almost childishly, he tried to grope for the right words. His brow furrowed, his lips pressing into an unhappy line.

"You said friends don't kiss each other, and after we did you...left." Natsu's gaze twisted away, almost flinching down to the carpet. A muscle in his jaw tightened, as if he was trying again, for the hundredth time, to understand what he had done wrong.

Lucy's heart knotted with guilt. She hadn't realized how badly she left things with him and she felt a little bad for having left the matter so up in the air.

"I missed seeing you, Luce." Natsu's thumb rubbed an absent circle into the top of her hand. His voice was a little rough but very quiet. "I would rather us be friends if it meant you stuck around."

Lucy closed her fingers over his. Soon his other hand had freed itself of its load to join the little pile between them. Her fingers threaded with his and she enjoyed the feeling of his large, strong ones pressing into hers. They wove between hers, their thickness contrasting sharply with her slender ones.

She looked up at his face, and found a hesitant, hopeful smile crawling up his cheeks.

"We'll always be friends, Natsu," she promised him with as much earnestness she could summon. "Please never doubt that. I like seeing you just as much, probably even more!"

"I doubt that." Natsu grinned, sucking in a relieved breath as finally, the uncomfortable tension between them yielded into something more bearable.

There was still a tension between them, but it was of a different kind. Always there, always quietly simmering away.

A faint blush crawled onto Lucy's cheeks, giving them a healthy rosy colour, as she returned his wide smile.

Neither wanted to let go of the other's hand. Careful not to loosen her grip, Lucy scooted a little closer.

"I missed seeing you too," she admitted with a shy smile. "A lot."

She jolted slightly when he shook his wet hair at her, the unexpected droplets shocking her out of her sentimental state.

Natsu grinned brightly, placing a large hand atop of her head. Lucy returned his grin. Then she protested sharply as he ruffled her hair, fighting him off.

They could do this.

"How about," she started slowly, an idea, albeit a little selfish, taking a hold of her, "you come over to my place with me, to make up for the time we missed? I will cook whatever you want, and we can watch a fun movie, and I have more than one spare bed to offer."

She couldn't help her desire to see him, to be with him. But she could do it as a friend, for both their sakes.

As expected, the idea seemed to delight Natsu.

"Anything I want?" he reassured himself, and it took Lucy a moment to realize he was talking about the food.

She laughed. "Anything at all."

* * *

They didn't have to suffer through emotional turmoil for too long...or will they? More action ahead!

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Next chapter! Chapter 24: Infighting


	25. Infighting

Apologies! This chapter is much later than normal! Thank you for being very patient with us - it's hard to find time to update these days. Getting everything organized and ready to publish takes about an hour and we need to actually be able to sit down and do it ahaha. And we've been hard pressed for any free time now that Pokemon Go is out pfff

Gotta catch 'em all!

If you're not playing, you definitely should! It's a lot of fun and, dare we say, it encourages physical activity *shocked gasp*. If you already have the game, what are some of your favorite Pokemon that you've caught so far?

* * *

 **rated** : _M  
_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

 **Infighting**

 _hidden conflict or competitiveness within an organization  
_

* * *

A couple of days later, as promised, Natsu found himself in Lucy's house. And it was a _big_ one. The estate stretched on for miles, and could no doubt accommodate hundreds of people with ease.

Natsu felt like the place was going to swallow him whole, so he made sure to stick by Lucy's side. He feared getting separated from her.

This much space seemed unnecessary for a single person to live in by themselves. Natsu wondered if she ever got lonely.

Eagerly he investigated everything, from the rich cherry wood to the marble counteracts to the gold filigree in the fireplace. His stomach churned with a bit of discomfort. As exciting as it all was, the place put him on edge. It reminded him of one of the rich rooms.

But he said nothing, holding his tongue and forcing himself to get comfortable because this was Lucy's home and he was her guest. For the first time in a while they were going to spend some time together. He missed the privacy they had gotten, alone in a room with just a deck of cards spread out on his lap.

Of course at the time they hadn't really been alone or safe either, but the illusion remained the same. A rich looking room, alone, with Lucy. Of course she wasn't wearing a dress encrusted in rare gems this time, but Natsu thought she looked awfully pretty with the silly apron tied around her waist.

It was pink, with odd frills and quilted pockets decorated with a manner of eclectic buttons. He pressed his chin against the counter as he watched her cook, swirling a wooden spoon around the promised meal.

Chili con carne.

He smothered a grin over how she had remembered, and his mouth watered with desperate hunger.

"Natsu, it won't cook faster no matter how hard you stare at it." Lucy smirked at him, having caught him in the act of drooling all over her nice counter.

She wielded her wooden spoon like a sword, Natsu's eyes trailing over the sauce that clung to its surface as she waved it.

She used it like a baton to point to the living room. "Why don't you go pick out a movie and put it in the player?"

Natsu frowned, barely registering her words when there was such good smelling food nearby, but managing to cotton on to her request. A player? He swallowed nervously at what Lucy seemed to have described as a simple task but...

Gajeel didn't really have a TV, and as such didn't own a player. Natsu wasn't even sure what a "player" was.

But how hard could it be?

He remembered the large cassettes which always had made his eyes light up, and how his father had spoken about rewinding, turning and being careful. He even remembered them being swallowed by a black box.

Perhaps that was what Lucy wanted him to do. But no matter where he looked, none of the familiar, rectangular covers showed up. He found what he suspected to be the player, but without anything to insert, he felt rather helpless. And yet, he was unwilling to ask for help. He pouted at the hellish machine.

An orange light blinked back, mocking him.

With a groan, he got up and flung himself at the sofa, smothering his face with a cushion. It took quite some willpower not to angrily kick his feet into the air.

And this was how Lucy found him, a hand resting on her hip and her brows furrowed in disbelief.

"Do you maybe need some help?" she asked in amusement, making his head jerk up.

Natsu lifted a hand, pointing an accusing finger at the DVD player.

"It hates me," he declared.

"Maybe," Lucy replied with a cheeky grin, a little amused at the way he had taken to glaring at the dvd player from under the cushion. She walked around her coffee table and picked out a couple of movies from the console stands.

She was just glad she still had a dvd player and hadn't decided to have him try to figure out Netflix instead.

Natsu and his constant battle against technology was going to be a theme she would have to get used to. But as it was, she could at least guide him those first, shaky steps back into the current century.

"These are DVDs." She brought a couple over to him on the couch and dropped them on the table. "Which do you want to watch?"

The question was asked so lightly, but Natsu practically sprang up from the couch as if electrified. His eyes fell eagerly to the ones laid out in front of him, his fingers tapping a rhythmic pattern on the table next to the discs.

It was obvious he didn't really know which one to pick. None of the titles jumped out to him in a recognizable way, and he didn't know what he would actually like.

A thought, hazy vague in its distinction, sprang to her mind. Something Natsu had said when Lucy butchered his hair.

The movies almost every child watched, and the ones Lucy still kept.

"You remember Disney, right?" she asked carefully, and watched Natsu's forehead first wrinkle, and then smoothen out again as he perked. At his confirmation, Lucy got back up and scurried over to the drawer where she kept her rarely used collection of movies she was too old to watch, yet too attached to to just throw out.

Collecting a handful, she brought them back to him.

Out of the bunch, Natsu looked over the titles with interested eyes. The cartoon illustrations were bright and catchy, but something about them made his eyebrows crease. A flicker of worry seemed to touch his eyes as he went from one title to the next, and others made something like sadness creep through.

Whatever his thoughts were though, it seemed like he wasn't planning on sharing. At least not right away. She figured they reminded him of something.

His expression cleared when he eyed a movie out of the bunch, his fingers plucking Tarzan out of the stack.

"I don't think I've ever seen this one before..." Natsu looked a little eager, and Lucy smiled back at him, taking the copy from him.

Of all the titles he could have picked, she thought that one was the most appropriate.

She wondered if he'd realize the irony of his pick later on.

For now, though, they had a dinner to enjoy.

-::-

Natsu watched the movie numbly from where he was sprawled out on the couch. His thoughts weren't wholly on the gorilla boy. As he had flipped through the different covers, he'd been struck with the nostalgia of watching them with Igneel.

That, and he wondered if Wendy liked Disney movies.

The girl had cropped up more than once in his thoughts. And even more often in the dreams that would leave him stuttering and shaking late at night. Guilt twisted deeper and deeper into his heart for every day he was out and she was still in.

Which was ridiculous, because Natsu had already told the police everything he could. But still, he felt like he should be out there _doing_ something to help Wendy instead of sitting around and trying to heal. Or read books about fairy tales.

But these moments he had with Lucy were precious, and he couldn't bring himself to regret them. No, he soaked up every second with her. He craved her smiles and laughs like they were a drug and he was an addict. There were times he found himself grappling for her attention, holding her hands for longer than she would probably deem appropriate, or even acting sillier than usual just to attract her eye.

No, these moments they had together were the highlights of his life.

Natsu felt a weight press against his shoulder, a shift of a soft body dripping into his tough skin. Blinking, he could smell the lightly floral scent of Lucy's shampoo.

The woman herself had dropped her head against his chest. Her eyes lifted to his curious gaze, a smile lighting her kind face. Natsu's heart ached with a yearning he couldn't act on. The need to _touch_ , to treasure, to protect, all rose in him like a ferocious desire.

His jaw clenched as he looked at her, Lucy's dark eyes watching him.

There was a heat licking in him. It was a familiar one that hated to be ignored. And it made Natsu _want._ He wanted something for himself, a greedy, hungry, _selfish_ thing that he couldn't have.

So he tore his gaze away, his heart racing at the feel of Lucy folding her legs up against his thigh. She wiggled her hips distractingly as she tried to get comfortable, Natsu forcing himself to look ahead at the screen.

He scooped a handful of popcorn from the bowl in his lap, cramming too much at once into his mouth. He chewed loudly on the flavorless corn, his eyes intent on the Phil Collins number that began to play on the screen.

Beside him, Lucy exhaled loudly, whacking her head back into the cushion. He glanced over at her, and caught her do the same. Like a scared deer, she averted her gaze.

Had he given his desire away so easily?

He had to try harder.

Natsu gobbled down his popcorn almost aggressively, and found himself confronted with an empty bowl far too early for his liking. The movie was not over yet.

It had been his only coping mechanism.

Lucy's thigh was tightly pressed against his, and somehow she managed to move it enticingly against his with every small movement. He swallowed.

And then he almost jumped right off the couch when her slender hands wound around his arm, softly gripping onto him like a spider monkey. With a content sigh, she rested her head on his shoulder.

Was she trying to kill him?

With her so tightly wedged against him, fitting into his side so snugly, his last grip on the movie slipped. He stared blankly at the screen, all his senses trained only on the woman at his side.

He was sure her gaze kept flitting to him, staring at the side of his face more than at the movie itself, and it drove him insane.

But every time he returned her gaze, she would look back down, biting her lip.

It made him want to take it between his own, gently lick along it to soothe the sensitive skin. To taste her again.

Blowing out a strained breath through his nose, Natsu gripped the pillows beneath him more tightly.

And then she shifted again, only slightly, and suddenly he felt her lips brush along his jaw before placing down a soft kiss. His skin tingled where her open lips lingered.

For a second, he stiffened, but then turned his face the last centimeters to look at her, his eyes wide and (damn him) hopeful.

Hers were hooded, such a desperate, subdued want in them that something in Natsu's stomach coiled forcibly.

One of her hands played with the fluffy hair at the nape of his neck almost absentmindedly, while the other palmed against the left side of his face, thumb stroking along his cheek and jawline as she turned him towards her completely.

The ability to think straight had long left either's mind.

She pushed herself the little rest upwards, and Natsu couldn't process what was happening to him, if maybe he had fallen asleep and was dreaming.

But the touch of her soft lips against his felt all too real, the sigh that escaped her all too electrifying.

She kissed him slowly, carefully, melting against him in the process. At first he was hesitant, too confused and anxious to respond.

Had she not told him friends didn't kiss each other?

He couldn't make sense of her actions.

But right now, frankly, he didn't care. This was too good to be true.

And so his hands moved to the small of her back, holding on to her as he tilted his head and parted her lips with his.

A soft whimper left her, a sound that sent sparks flying through him. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, rubbing against him as if begging to be touched. His hands gripped her back tighter.

And then, without breaking the kiss, Lucy began to crawl into his lap.

He gasped quietly, a sound she swallowed up. Her legs settled on either side of him, hips rolling against his in a way that made the muscles in his stomach clench almost painfully.

But Lucy was the one in control of this, and he let her guide him, scared any unprodded movement or word could put an end to this.

The way she kissed him was almost too much to bear; there was so much soft desperation in every contact, so much _emotion_ , accompanied by soft whimpers and even softer moans, as if she was pained by her actions.

Lucy's were the most amazing kisses of his life, nothing like anything he had known. He wondered just why that was; how she did it.

She sighed again, the sound vibrating into him, and prodded his mouth open with her tongue.

Despite himself, Natsu's hand tangled in her hair, pressing her into him as he deepened the kiss.

The small noises of delight that left her did weird things to him, and there was a fire burning in his belly that only she could quench.

But it was exactly this fire that became his undoing.

The proof of his desire pressed hard against her thigh, an automatic reflex that even the most innocent kisses could not quench. After all, for him, kissing was irrevocably connected with sex, and his conditioned response was all too clear. Unconsciously, he moved his hips to align them, craving the heat between her thighs.

Lucy sucked in a sharp breath.

Natsu silently cursed himself, realizing what he had done. Now he'd ruined everything. She would leave again. Send him away.

When she pulled back, he was prepared for the worst.

But she didn't say anything, even kept her eyes closed. But her face alone was full of emotions that made him clench his teeth in a kind of agony.

Her brows were furrowed, swollen lips pressed against each other. Before he could catch a glimpse at her eyes, however, she buried her face against his neck.

Her breathing was regular, slowing down, and he allowed himself to calm too. However, the knot in his stomach pulled tight. Caution and wariness rose in him.

Was this what she wanted to do? Kiss him out of the blue, and then regret it right after?

A pathetic part of him was okay even with that. But he had his dignity and pride.

Would she apologize again, when she pulled back? Was he a mistake?

They stayed silent for a while, Lucy not moving from her spot.

Her hands played with the collar of his shirt.

It would have been nice, to stay like this, if the atmosphere had not been so loaded. Both of them were unsettled from what had happened between them, albeit for different reasons.

Natsu watched Tarzan free Jane from a cage, almost laughing at the irony. The quiet, humourless laugh that shook his body was enough to finally stir Lucy.

She pulled back, biting that damned lip of hers.

"You're sorry, huh," he said, sparing her the struggle of saying it herself.

Her mouth dropped open. "Natsu…"

"I thought you said you didn't want to kiss me anymore," he dead-panned, guard somewhat up.

"I just…" Lucy tried, desperate to somehow convey her feelings to him. "That's not true. I _want_ to kiss you. Just because I can't be with you like that, it doesn't mean I don't _want_ to. It's just… really confusing. I want to kiss you all the time. But…"

Her voice trailed off, soft and hopeless.

"It's okay, I get it," he cut her off before she could go on. "You don't wanna talk about it. I can do that, y'know. Not ask questions. Never asked any before."

His voice was gruff, and her eyes widened in shock and understanding.

"No, Natsu, that's not-" she begged, but he turned his head.

The silence that fell was heavy and uncomfortable.

Lucy bit her lip again.

"I don't think you can be in a relationship right now," she spoke after a moment, brutally honest, "because you don't know what one is. Natsu, I know you don't understand me, but that's exactly the problem. You have so much to learn. And not all of that will be pleasant. You know, the way you… the _service_ , it's not normal."

Lucy closed her mouth again, searching for a way to continue, but finding none.

Natsu furrowed his brows. But he could feel the blunt honesty of her words, and could appreciate it for what it was even if the words stung, and confused him.

"I want to kiss you," she repeated, "but I want more than that."

His eyes widened, and he was about to tell her he could give her that, anything she wanted, because it was the one thing he was good at besides fighting, when she shook her head as if he had just proven her point.

"That's not what I mean," she whispered, and the distinct pain in her eyes hurt him too. He didn't want to hurt her.

The sad look in her eyes didn't yield when she moved closer again, pressing the softest kiss against his lips. She pulled back with a sense of finality.

"We can't do this," she said. "Not...yet."

There was hope in her eyes, and the promise of _something_ , of a possibility awaiting. This look alone finally was able to spark hope in Natsu's chest.

She _did_ want to be with him, did she not? Just not right now. Like this. And while he didn't quite understand, Natsu was determined to find out what was holding her back. He could learn whatever she wanted him to learn.

The faintest of smiles tugged at the corners of his mouth, eyes lighting up with hope.

"Not yet," he repeated, and watched her nod with a small smile, tinged with hope much like his own. She remained in his lap, cuddling up against him with a sigh.

This was good enough for him.

* * *

Savor these moments now, because something unfortunate may happen...

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Next time! Chapter 25: Haymaker


	26. Haymaker

How well will you all hold up after this chapter, we wonder... Hope you guys are prepared!

Thanks for telling us about your favorite Pokemon! We're glad everyone is having as much fun as we are with the game :)

* * *

 **rated** : _M (violence this chapter)  
_

 **summary** : _In a world of underground fighting only the strong survive, abiding by the rules of kill or be killed. In the Ring, a feeble emotion like hope is all it takes to destroy you. And yet it exists– and those who hold onto it play a dangerous game. But once you enter into the Ring, it will never let you go._

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

 **Haymaker**

 _a type of punch, a wild swing with all of a person's might to knock out their opponent_

* * *

Lucy had a ton of rooms and even more comfortable beds to choose from. But when they both got ready for the night, her eyes fell over him with such a lingering look, he felt his body ache to follow after her.

Not yet.

Natsu chose instead to get as far away from Lucy as he was able. Not necessarily because he wanted to, but if he was going to get any sleep it would be as far from her as he could manage.

He couldn't help but think she looked a little disappointed when he opted to sleep on the couch. Her hair was piled on the top of her head in a messy bun, a large gym sweater sliding off one of her shoulders.

Natsu could only entertain the thought the sweater looked familiar for a second until a far more pressing thought took hold of his mind. She looked great in it.

Lucy, comfortable and relaxed, always took his breath away. She was beautiful all the time, but there was something so achingly domestic about the way she held her toothbrush by her side and padded around the kitchen in bare feet that had his heart racing.

"You sure you don't want one of the beds?" Lucy's voice floated over from the kitchen. Natsu smothered a grin, punching the pillow she had given him into a comfortable shape.

"Nah, this is fine. I'd get lost in the upper levels of your place if I picked one of those rooms anyway." Natsu grinned.

Not that it would matter, he didn't like how many blind corners there were in this place. It made him uneasy.

Lucy's laughter drifted over to him, sharpening some as she got closer to the living room.

"Don't worry, I'll always find you when you get lost, Natsu."

Of that, he had no doubt.

He flopped over onto his back, a small jingle catching his attention as Happy finally made himself known from his mansion wide exploration of Lucy's home. The cat settled down on Natsu's chest as soon as he brought the blankets up to his chin.

Stroking fingers through the cat's blue fur, Natsu curled his thumb around the shiny, new collar and bell around his neck. It was green, with little fishes printed on the slender strap.

"Did you put this on Happy?" Natsu asked, curious over its sudden appearance.

Lucy made a guilty noise. "Happy likes to go outside and uncollared pets tend to either be taken in by shelters or mistakenly brought home by other people. I know I should have asked you first, he's your cat, but it was a spontaneous thought. He doesn't like it very much," she mused.

At that, Happy meowed and tried to scratch the collar with his foot. His irritation was plain in the way he gave a snorting growl when the green strip stayed firmly in place.

Natsu fiddled with the collar, turning the tag over in his palm. It had Gajeel's address on it along with Happy's name in bold etchings on the metal.

"Sorry, bud," Natsu muttered to his companion, "looks like the outside world is a little different. If a collar keeps you safe, you gotta wear it."

The cat settled once more, grudgingly accepting his fate.

He couldn't help the small smile it brought to his face. The small plate around Happy's neck. It had an address on it. A solid, real place Natsu went back to every day. Even if he was just staying there for a little while, that smooth metal made it all the more real.

Lucy came into view at that moment, a smile on her face as she reached out to stroke her fingers through his hair.

Natsu's heart flopped happily in his chest at the sensations of them running through his hair. A smile broadened his cheeks, lighting his eyes and relaxing his face.

His fingers caught loosely around her delicate wrist. It was so fragile in his grasp, and he pressed a tender thumb against her pulse. He dragged it down, his heart feeling so full and happy, he couldn't resist pressing his mouth against her open palm. He felt, rather than heard the throaty gasp from Lucy.

" _Natsu-_ "

And then he licked it, a mischievous smirk flashing over his face as Lucy's entire body went rigid.

"Ew, Natsu, that's disgusting!" Lucy shrieked at the top of her lungs, and Natsu yelped out a laugh as she yanked his pillow out from under his shoulders and began to pummel him with it.

He clutched his belly as he rolled away, startling Happy, who darted off to the safety of some dark corner. Natsu flopped off the couch to escape the vicious pillow, laughing hard enough tears sprang to his eyes. He clutched at his stomach, even when Lucy threw the pillow directly in his face.

"Good night, Natsu!" Lucy stuck her tongue out at him, but he didn't miss the few giggles that escaped her pretty mouth.

Natsu's wheezed out a few remaining chuckles, holding onto the pillow to his chest as he climbed back on his makeshift bed. His eyes trailed over her retreating form, her hair spilling free from a messy bun and long legs eating up floor in her haste to get away from him.

"Goodnight, Luce," Natsu said lazily.

The new nickname seemed to register to her, his heart giving an awkward thump when her head tilted. He was rewarded when she paused mid-stride. Lucy looked over her shoulder at him, her cheeks still puffed out in a pout, but a small smile gracing her lips.

Then without saying a word, she retreated upstairs.

-::-

The _schick_ of a window in the living room unlocking was what woke Natsu at somewhere past midnight. He went stock-still, his sensitive ears having picked up the unusual noise - he could block out normal noises, safe ones, but whenever a new or unknown sound disturbed the quiet, he always woke.

It was habitual.

Dropping one hand on the top of Happy's head, Natsu told himself to go back to sleep. He was safe, he didn't need to worry.

But then the window was shoved open, letting a draft billow in, and Natsu didn't hesitate. He sprung into action.

Jumping off the couch, sending Happy flying with a startled yowl, Natsu held up his arms defensively. The dark blanketed his vision, making him squint, but he could hear the distinct _tap-tap-tap_ of light feet and nearly inaudible murmurs to match.

One invader, two invaders, three...four.

Natsu cocked his head, waiting and listening.

Four, he decided. Definitely four. All trained and deathly silent, save for the metallic clinks of their weapons.

An assassination squad?

Pushing a heavy breath out through his nose, Natsu realized he wasn't as safe as he'd thought. And when he heard his enemies round the corner in the living room, he struck.

He had to be fast. Four armed intruders against his lonesome...obviously the odds weren't in his favor.

But at least he had the element of surprise.

His sight compromised, Natsu had to rely on his other senses to dictate where his enemies stood. His hand launched out to the left, catching someone in the throat. They spluttered and choked as they fell to their knees, sending the rest of the team into disarray.

Turning swiftly on his heel, Natsu's foot connected with the same person's head.

It was a stone cold blow and they dropped face-first to the floor, unconscious.

A startled shout alerted Natsu to the second intruder just in front of him. He boxed a quick one-two combination, nailing the man's - presumably - nose and jaw. The man should have been disoriented but he still managed to lash out and catch Natsu under the chin. It was a mere graze, a lucky shot.

"What the fuck? They didn't say nothin' about a guard dog!" shouted one, the click of his gun audible.

"Doesn't matter," replied the one with a broken nose as he aimed for Natsu's ears. "Just grab the girl!"

 _Lucy._

Natsu's blood boiled - he wasn't the target, Lucy was. An assassination team had come after her.

Fury made his fingers tingle as he slung his arm around the neck of the man in front of him. Gasping, the man dug his fingers into Natsu's forearm as it tightened, slowly cutting off the air. Non-lethal, Natsu told himself even though his instincts told him to go the easy route - one jerk of his arms and the man would be dead.

Natsu gritted his teeth.

The man's struggles became weaker and weaker until he finally went limp. Not dead, but unconscious - just like the first.

Or at least he hoped. He didn't have time to check, as there was suddenly another person on his back. Their arms slipped under his and hooked over his shoulders, holding him immobile. A woman this time, Natsu thought, as she felt much more slender. But no less aggressive and dangerous if the press of her many weapons against his spine were anything to go by.

She carried a lot of tools for an assassin.

When she tried to wrap her leg around his, Natsu jerked his head back, slamming into her forehead with a _crack_.

She yelped and released him in shock, one of her many weapons clattering to the floor. She hissed as she searched around blindly for it, making the mistake of kneeling.

Natsu kicked the gun away before using his heel to flatten the woman onto her stomach. She collapsed, snarling, and he planted himself on the small of her back. His weight was more than enough to keep her in place as he covered her mouth with one hand, and with the other, gave a short chop to the back of her neck.

A pressure point.

Natsu didn't know much about them, but he knew where an important few were. And that when pressed with the right touch, could instantly KO.

He'd almost found that out the hard way in the Ring.

Shaking his head, Natsu released the woman and jumped to his feet. He still couldn't see in the pitch black living room, but the fallen bodies were close by.

One, he counted, two, three…

Somewhere upstairs, Lucy screamed.

 _Four._

" _Shit_ ," he cursed under his breath, searching blindly for the lightswitch. When he found it, he wasted no time and started sprinting towards the stairs. The sudden light blinded his eyes, and he squinted, grunting as he scaled the stairs two steps at a time.

A dull _thump_ from upstairs made his heart freeze, and suddenly his legs carried him faster than his mind could keep up with.

Natsu ran past room after room, the hallways seeming to stretch on for miles. He didn't even fucking know which room was Lucy's, heading in the general direction of the scream from earlier. But, as he sprinted, the sounds of a viscous struggle met his ears and he zeroed in on the right one.

The one at the very end of the hall next to the huge French windows.

The door was ajar, making it easy for Natsu to crash through it and into the room. Whereupon he saw Lucy whimpering, sprawled across her bed but still struggling with the man looming above her. He had her caged beneath him, one of her hands in his, gripping a delicate finger.

It was bent at an unnatural angle.

"Don't make me ask again, bitch. Where the fuck is he - "

Natsu didn't pause to think, he simply lunged at the man. Tackling him to the floor with an enraged roar that hurt his own ears. They fell with a breath-snatching _thud_ , right next to Lucy's toppled nightstand, and Natsu's fist immediately connected with the man's face. Repeatedly.

He'd broken Lucy's finger.

Natsu was going to break him into a hundred, unrecognizable pieces.

In the background, Natsu vaguely registered Lucy fumbling for something, her voice panicked and high floating around the room with a dial tone. It was indistinguishable to the task Natsu had set out before him.

His fists twisted into the man's black shirt, yanking him upright until his body curved up and slamming him back down into the floor. The man was dazed, but he twisted, still landing a knee into Natsu's side.

Grunting, Natsu instinctively curled away, rolling onto his side, a sneer twisting his face into one of blind rage. It was like he was slipping into a fugue state, from one breath to the next, he was being consumed by his own fury.

A roar bellowed out from him, Natsu's arms catching the rising man under his leg and around his side. He used their momentum to twist them around, slamming the man back into the ground with devastating force. This time he caught him by the chest, driving his knee down into the intruder's stomach. He spread his legs, pinning him down by locking his ankles around the other's and bearing down on his knees.

Twisting forward, he slammed the man's right hand onto the hardwood floor. Natsu's grip was so tight, the snap in the man's finger was unintentional. Natsu froze, when the man screamed, his eyebrows tightening down and teeth baring into a dark snarl.

An eye for an eye.

It was only fair.

Natsu wrenched the man's second finger back, enjoying the popping crack as it broke all too easily. Again, the man screamed his agony, swiping at Natsu's face with uncoordinated, sloppy, unbroken fingers.

It was annoying, and when he scratched underneath Natsu's eye, Natsu growled. He punched the man's soft, fleshy side.

The bastard deserved a lot more than this.

He deserved so much more. And Natsu was all too happy to mete out that punishment himself.

Vaguely, he was aware of someone calling his name. But he ignored them. Because he was busy with something more important.

Grabbing a third finger, Natsu yanked back. But there was no echoing scream or sob, eliciting a stab of disappointment in Natsu. The man he was straddling had passed out from the pain, his face bloody and swollen, tears leaking from his half-open, rolled back eyes. He'd passed his breaking point apparently...and that didn't sit well with Natsu, whose fist connected with the man's jaw again.

He had to wake up. He had to be conscious for the pain. Otherwise it just wouldn't be fair.

Again, Natsu was faintly aware of the sound of his name. It was tinged with desperation. And again, Natsu ignored the call - he sunk his open palm into the intruder's chest.

A rib cracked under the force.

And then...something collided with Natsu. It came at him with enough brute force that he was sent flying sideways, releasing his enemy, as a new body landed on top of him. Another enemy, one he'd missed somehow.

Natsu snarled, pushing away the hands that grabbed at his shoulders. He collared the thin wrists with one hand and squeezed while flipping the attacker beneath him. The woman, as he discovered, shrieked in surprise and pain...and the familiar sound tore through his heart like a bullet.

As did the scent of flowers that drifted up to his nose when he paused to breathe.

Horror spreading through his bones like thick tar, Natsu blinked and focused his vision on Lucy beneath him.

Her blonde hair was splayed out in a halo around her, her hands yanked above her head and held in his white knuckled grip, and her brown eyes were wide. And terrified. Of him.

Her delicate bones groaned in his hand and she hissed in response, her bent finger twisting.

Her chest heaved, her tear filled eyes round on his face and body stiff under his. She flinched when he took a breath, and Natsu felt as if a white hot lance had ripped through him at her recoil.

"Natsu..?" Her voice trembled, hesitant and quiet as if calling out to a feral animal.

Natsu's hand loosened around her wrists, his body flushing hot and cold in sickening turns. He pulled away, hands shaking as sense returned to his shocked mind.

He could feel the pain now, feel the bruised and torn skin on his knuckles. His lips pressed together and he could taste blood. Not his own, but the blood of the man he had beaten nearly to death underneath him.

"Natsu," Lucy's voice quavered, thick with pain as he distanced himself from her.

He shifted backwards, his eyes locked on her. She was sitting up now, her hand cradling the more damaged one. Tears dripped down her cheeks, but she tried to suck it back bravely, her eyes locked on his as she edged closer to him.

For every step she took towards him though, he retreated another back. Natsu couldn't think, he could barely _breathe_. The only thing he could rationalize in his horrified mind, was getting away from Lucy. He had totally lost control of himself, moving only off battle ingrained instinct and the need to absolutely crush whoever was in front of him. Even if that meant Lucy.

He felt bile crawl its way up his esophagus, and he had to gulp it back with dry swallows.

When Lucy's hand grazed his cheek, Natsu's heart knotted up into his throat, his hand lifting to stop her. Too hesitant to even touch her right now, Lucy's hand was successful in flattening against his jaw.

He aimed to jerk his head from her grasp, but her injured hand came up to his other cheek, and he had just enough presence of mind to freeze so not to accidentally bump it. She guided his head back to hers, their foreheads pressing together.

Their breathing, both panicked and ragged, mingled together, but Lucy's grip on him was solid.

"I'm okay, Natsu. They didn't hurt me, _you_ didn't hurt me," Lucy whispered to him. "You stopped them, we're okay."

"Lucy," Natsu's voice sounded foreign coming from his own mouth. It was rough and grating around the edges. And suddenly, he remembered the words Gajeel had said when he first moved in with him.

" _But what happens if she startles ya? You're gonna tell me your first impulse ain't to swing?"_

It was.

Gajeel was right. That was his response, every time.

"Lucy," he tried again, this time his thoughts solidifying into something he could almost grasp. "There's something wrong with me."

* * *

Adjusting might be a little more difficult than any of them thought it seems...

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Next time! Chapter 26: Noble Art


	27. Noble Art

MSLEAD HERE! SORRY FOR THE DELAYED UPDATE GUYS! School is back, coupled with family issues and sickness, but thank you all for hanging in there! We're not through with the Ring yet! So lets see what else is cooking here, huh?

* * *

 **Chapter 26**

 ** _noble art_**

 _the noble art of self-defense_

* * *

If there was such thing as divine punishment, Natsu was experiencing it for hurting those men.

He was in the back seat of Gajeel's car, Lucy in the front while they made endless loops around the city and down false streets. He was sure the moment he got out of this metal can, he was going to puke all over the street.

His stomach rolled with car sickness, but the thoughts from the fight at Lucy's house served as a constant stimulant. Natsu smothered a groan as he doubled over his stomach, feeling like they left it behind at the Heartfilia estate.

"Are we there yet?" Natsu wasn't too proud to admit he whimpered his question. He felt feverish and sick, blind to Lucy turning around to see if he was all right. His eyes were screwed shut in an attempt to fight off the motion sickness.

"Yeah, brat, just want to make sure we don't have a tail," Gajeel muttered to the man slumped over in his back seat. "Just focus on keeping your mouth screwed shut. I ain't gonna clean up any of your vomit."

Natsu grunted back.

It was a mercy when they finally pulled up to Gajeel's place. Natsu oozed out of the car, his knees on the earth and fists in the grass as it rocked from one side to the other. Stumbling upright as the nausea faded, Natsu looked up at where the other two were waiting for him to recover.

Lucy's hand was bandaged and her broken finger splinted. She looked messy from having been snatched from her bed in the middle of the night.

Natsu felt a wave of guilt wash over him every time he lay eyes on her hand.

He should have been faster. He should have never let it happen. He shouldn't have lost it, and almost hurt her. Regret churned in his stomach, and he fought back nausea all over again.

They entered the flat silently.

What had happened seemed rather unreal as they all stood in Gajeel's living room. Everything was the same as ever. Quiet, tidy, _normal_.

Except it wasn't.

Gajeel slumped down on the couch, dragging a hand over his face.

"Shit," he muttered at last, pointedly summing up the situation. Lucy joined him on the couch, while Natsu took seat on the armrest on the other side of Gajeel. He didn't trust himself at all right now, keeping his distance from Lucy.

His stomach twisted unpleasantly when she gave him a worried look. Happy meowed in her arms and she set the feline down next to a somber looking Pantherlily.

"We can rule out you going home." Gajeel glanced at Lucy. "We should've thought about that sooner. Spriggan recognized your face, and knew who you were. It was only a matter of time before he was able to hunt down an address for you."

"They were looking for me..." Natsu ground his teeth together.

After stepping back from the near-slaughter, he'd put the pieces together. The intruders had been carrying many more tools than assassins would have. Pliers and needles and hammers along with their guns and knives… Instruments of persuasion, as Zeref would have called them.

That team hadn't been sent to just assassinate Lucy...they'd been sent to torture Natsu's location out of her.

His thoughts went around in circles, once more thinking about what would have happened had he not been there watching a movie with Lucy. The possibility of what would have happened to her was too awful to even tell.

First Igneel, and now Lucy -

It was like Natsu was leaving a path behind him, painted in the blood of those he cared about. He felt sick, since he knew some of that blood was on his hands.

"You can stay here until this blows over, in the guest room with Natsu," Gajeel grunted, not seeing the way the two of them jolted. Of course at Natsu's guilty fidgeting, he gave a shrewd glare. "What's the matter with you," he dead-panned.

Natsu just shook his head, his eyes skating over to Lucy's bruised wrists.

He had to talk to Gajeel. But not right now. Not when everything was so fresh.

"Nothing," he grumbled defensively, looking away.

Gajeel's brows furrowed, but he just shrugged.

"Whatever ya say," he grunted, and then mumbled something under his breath that not even Natsu could make out. "We're gonna have to do something about this. But not tonight, when we can't even think straight anymore. We better get some sleep."

This did nothing to ease Natsu's mind.

Being alone in a room with Lucy was something he had looked forward to, and craved, for the longest time, and even mere hours ago. Now it just made him uneasy and anxious.

He hated feeling like this.

So when Lucy closed the door behind them, he immediately sought refuge opposite of where his mattress lay on the ground, taking only a blanket with him.

"You can sleep in my bed," he mumbled, avoiding her gaze. He didn't want to scare her any more than he already had. "I can sleep on the couch too, if you want."

"Natsu," Lucy started, and he heard her walk coser, her socked feet making barely any noise on the linoleum. "Don't be like that. Please. I told you it's all right."

He rubbed his clenched teeth together, finally looking up at her. "But it's not all right," he protested almost angrily, but the sentiment was directed only at himself. "I almost killed that man. I _hurt you_."

Sighing, Lucy sank down beside him.

She took a deep breath, as if to steady herself. Her legs folded under her, sitting closer to Natsu. She settled her weight closer to his, almost like she was afraid he was going to pull away from her. Which he wouldn't, because as fearful as he was, Natsu also knew he was selfish enough to stay close to her.

Her good hand settled on his arm, preventing his escape.

"You're right, it's not okay," Lucy said quietly. Her words were spoken carefully, but with an edge of honesty he couldn't ignore. "You hurt that man badly, and you almost hurt me. Neither of those things are all right."

She took an even deeper breath this time, and Natsu felt like she was trying to breathe for the both of them. Because at that moment, he felt like he had stopped breathing entirely.

Did she think of him as some kind of monster?

Her hands collected his, small compared to his large, oafish ones. She squeezed them together, kneeling in front of him and meeting his eyes with hers.

"But you saved me, Natsu, you have to remember that," Lucy pleaded with him. Her hands shook, and he realized, somewhat dimly, that _she_ was afraid. But not necessarily of him.

"If you weren't there, I would be gone." Lucy's eyes filled with fresh tears.

His stomach clenched in different ways, having forgotten in his own horror, that Lucy had experienced a fresh trauma. Natsu had been so focused on keeping her safe from him to realize what she was experiencing.

Lucy was still trying to comfort _him._

"Control will come in time Natsu, y-you just have to learn," Lucy choked off, when suddenly Natsu pulled her to him. Her body froze against his, as if trying to understand the sudden shift before she relaxed. Wet tears soaked into Natsu's shirt.

He held her tightly, face twisted in pain as he came to understand hers.

Her good hand fisted into his shirt as a sob shook her, and he carefully stroked over her hair. They stayed like this for a good while until she calmed down, slowly pulling back. She kept her face down, as if ashamed that her emotions had gotten the better of her. With a small frown, Natsu reached out to lift her chin and wipe away the trails of tears on her cheeks with his thumb.

She sniffed, meeting his eyes.

The smile he gave her was tinged with hurt, but she returned it weakly.

"Let's just sleep on it, okay?" he mumbled. "Gajeel's right, we're all really fucked up tonight."

Lucy laughed quietly, some of the usual sparkle returning to her eyes. Then she paused, seemingly unsure to go on.

"Will you sleep with me?" she asked after a moment's hesitation, large eyes a little uncertain, but hopeful.

Natsu blinked as he watched her, eyes roaming her face and the desperate hope clinging to Lucy. She was so strong all the time, but for her to ask him of such a simple request - he was unable to deny her that much. She wanted his company, and if he was being honest...

He didn't want to be alone either.

"Yeah." He pressed his nose into the top of her head.

The gesture was affectionate in its sincerity, but when he made to get up to the bed, he was stopped by the press of her hand on his shoulder.

"Here is fine," Lucy mumbled tiredly into his neck.

Natsu stilled as she untangled herself from him to rip off the remaining covers of the bed. She dropped them and the pillows to the floor, kneeling down next to him to wrap an arm around his chest.

It was strange, but the nest of blankets surrounding them seemed to exude an almost childish air that made Natsu relax. Almost like he and Lucy were laying in a pillow fort.

Something as simple and innocent as a pile of blankets seemed like it could protect them from everything bad in the world.

He was reminded then, of the time she had spent with him for that short while in the Ring. Where they would huddle in close to one another, finding safety and protection in each other's company.

And just like when they were younger, they could do it again.

Natsu pulled her to his chest, careful of her hurt hand as his chin rested on the top of her golden head. Slowly, with her in his arms, Natsu was finally able to shed the fear and anxiety, drifting off into a relaxing slumber with Lucy breathing evenly against his chest.

"G'night, Lucy," he whispered against her ear, drifting off into sleep as past and present mixed together in a tired haze. It didn't matter where he was, as long as he could hold her like this Natsu would be content.

-::-

Natsu awoke the next day at the same time he always did. Right before dawn. His body was sluggish and stiff from having slept on the floor, but a soft heat pressing against his chest made him reluctant to move.

He had only managed to snag maybe an hour or two of sleep before his internal clock made him spring awake. Grunting his displeasure over being awake so early, he gently shifted Lucy over so not to wake her.

As usual, he could hear movement in the kitchen, the familiar sounds of Gajeel moving around the only noises from the house. It didn't surprise Natsu, after all, they held the same sleep schedule.

Reluctant to leave Lucy on the floor, he lifted her, blankets and all, to settle her onto the bed. Natsu had to budge Happy's rear to the side, earning himself a rather offended glower from his cat. Still, Happy settled back down next to Lucy.

Her brows creased for a moment, her body twisting in the sheets searchingly. She didn't wake, her fingers finding a pillow to hug to her chest.

Quietly, Natsu crept out of the room, taking care not to make too much noise and wake her. He had seen Lucy grumpy from sleep exhaustion before and it wasn't a pretty sight. After the evening they had, Natsu wasn't interested in making her face the day too soon.

He padded into the kitchen, Gajeel looking up from over a mug of coffee. His red eyes were heavy from sleep, and Natsu's nose twitched at the scent of the hot pot steaming behind Gajeel.

At first he said nothing, too wrapped up in his mug to give Natsu more than an irritated glower. But soon he had the mug sitting down on the counter, his eyes narrowing on Natsu. He seemed to recognize something on Natsu's face, his jaw flexing shut.

"So. What happened?" Gajeel demanded.

Natsu leaned back against the counter, eyes dark as he faced him.

"There were four," he began grimly. "I took three of them out downstairs, but one got past me and to Lucy." His knuckles gripped the edge of the counter angrily as he recalled what had happened. "And when I found them he'd broken her finger, and I - I just lost it. I don't even remember much, only that I beat him half dead, and then almost hit Lucy too."

He was tense, his hands slipping off the counter as he gripped too tightly, and he shoved them into the pockets of his sweatpants instead.

Gajeel remained surprisingly unimpressed, his face showing almost no sign of even having heard his words. Then, he put down his cup and got up.

He came closer, and frankly, Natsu prepared for another hit to the face. He felt like he deserved it, too. But all Gajeel did was stare him down, invading his personal space until their foreheads almost touched.

"I ain't gonna lecture ya or anythin'," he said lowly, "I have no right to do that. But I told ya before, the moment you hurt Lucy, you can get out of my face and sleep on the street for all I care."

Natsu simply nodded. The last time Gajeel had told him this, he had protested, had been so foolishly sure of himself. And while now he was more determined than ever to never hurt even a single hair on Lucy's head ever again, his over-confidence had dimmed considerably.

"I'd be pissed if you wouldn't," he responded with a humourless smile.

Gajeel grunted, his eyes drilling into Natsu. There were several long, extremely uncomfortable moments before the larger man looked away, turning back around and heading to the counter.

"Five years," Gajeel said, his back facing Natsu so he couldn't see his face. "That's how long I've been out for, and every day it's still hard to keep myself from crossing the line."

Natsu wet his lips, struggling to speak. He swallowed hard around a knot in his throat, his fingernails cutting into his palms by how tightly he squeezed his fists. Even in his pockets they shook.

"How - " Natsu tried again, "How did you fix it?"

He spoke like there was something broken in him. Like there was some loose part in his head that simply needed tightening.

But it seemed like that was the right question to ask, because Gajeel turned towards him a second later, his red eyes finding Natsu's face. He stared for a second, as if wondering if his resolve would hold true.

"I didn't fix myself," Gajeel replied. "Not by myself at least. Lucy helped a lot, but I had someone else too."

"Levy?" Natsu asked, trying to fill in the blanks for himself. He knew he guessed wrong the moment Gajeel snorted on a laugh though.

"For guys like us, we need a bit of a firmer touch than one Lucy or Levy can give." Gajeel's lips thinned into a hard line, the metal in his face seeming to scrunch into a ball.

"What do we need?" Natsu frowned, impatience beginning to color his tone. His roommate didn't notice but walked over to the couch and picked up his somber looking cat.

"A trainer."

"A...trainer?" Natsu grimaced, images of Acnologia instantly flooding his mind, memories of being beaten and laughed at and called weak until he'd barely been able to stand. He didn't want a trainer.

If Gajeel noticed the way he recoiled, he didn't show. He grinned darkly.

"Someone who speaks our language."

 _Who could that be? :D Guess you'll find out next time in **stablemate**_


	28. Stablemate

Mslead here! Hey guys, I know it's been AGES since this fic was updated! I'm catching it up to Snogfairy's posting on tumblr. We're still working on Round 3 right now but we've had a hard time aligning everyone's schedules. I am especially guilty as I have been totally MIA from the internet for over half a year! So for now, I'm just catching up ITR to where it matches tumblr's postings, and then we're going to work on ITR until it's finished. At that point, we'll begin consistent updates again.

Please don't make us feel guilty about making you wait again after this. There are three of us and we really are trying. Please understand that we really do want to finish this story and we're trying to make it work!

So without further ado, back into the ring we go!

 **Chapter 27**

 ** _stablemate_**  
 _fighters who train at the same gym or under the banner of the same promoter_

-::-

Lucy had to admit, they must have looked like quite the trio, walking down a broken and pitted sidewalk in a group. Two burly looking men on either side of her, Lucy knew Gajeel and Natsu looked more like her bodyguards than her friends.

Of course with the paranoid glares they shot over their shoulders every three feet, she thought they were doing a great job serving the role. Which was silly, because she was the one tagging along on their little adventure.

As soon as she had woken up, a little irritated over being alone in bed instead of next to Natsu, she had been informed they were all heading out. It was then she realized both Natsu and Gajeel woke up freakishly early, so she found her anger diluted by the gratitude they had let her sleep in.

Their destination was a gym, one Gajeel used to frequent. Apparently he hadn't gone in some time, as there was a woman there who was a sort of specialist in cases like theirs. Whoever she was, the woman sounded both impressive and frightening.

Lucy couldn't imagine either of her friends being 'handled'.

But that was why they were there. Walking to the gym from Gajeel's apartment to avoid taking the car. Natsu seemed wary to go at first, unsure about this mystery trainer. Lucy couldn't blame him either, not when she held reservations of her own about putting Natsu back into an environment so similar to one he had been in for over fifteen years.

Gajeel seemed to think it was fine.

"You sure about this?" Lucy tugged on Natsu's elbow.

His eyes flickered to hers, a wry smile lifting the corners of his mouth. He couldn't fool her, there was a tightness around the edges of his eyes that spoke of a tension he wouldn't voice.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I've gotta at least try." Natsu frowned, seemingly growing distracted by the conversation. He wet his lips and peered around before breathing, "Huh."

"Hm?" Lucy questioned.

Natsu shook his head. His eyes glued down between his striding feet. "Nothing..." He squinted at the buildings. "I just thought for a second how familiar this place looks."

His gaze was hesitant as it flicked over the old buildings, cracks and vines shadowing the bricks. Lucy watched as his hands seemed to curl tighter into fists as they walked, and whether or not he noticed, he was matching Gajeel's strides.

It seemed like every step they took pulsed a nervous energy through Natsu, and he walked like he had a target in mind. Which was ridiculous considering he had spent most of his life in confinement.

What could he possibly recognize?

Gajeel's face remained carefully neutral the whole time they walked, but by the twitch of his jaw, he knew something and he wasn't planning on sharing.

Finally, when they turned the last street to the gym, Natsu stopped moving.

Crashing into his solid back, Lucy grumbled and rubbed her nose. She was very nearly about to open her mouth and demand why he had stalled, but then she noticed Natsu wasn't even _breathing_. His eyes were locked ahead of him, his jaw slack but spine rigid.

Slowly, she pressed a hand between his shoulder blades and it seemed to draw him out of whatever haze he was in.

"This is Igneel's gym."

Lucy's hand froze, taking stock of Natsu's grim face and the soft tremor that ran through his shoulders.

The gym Igneel had once owned.

Lucy had seen it perhaps once or twice in old newspaper clippings, but Natsu must have spent many years in the place before he was taken. The exterior of the building looked as if it had been repainted and fixed up a little, but to someone who was intimately familiar with the place - no doubt it looked exactly the same.

Natsu didn't even seem to be breathing anymore.

"You knew?" Lucy whirled on Gajeel. A flare of anger made her hands shake, unable to believe her friend would do something so cruel to Natsu. To throw him back to a place with so many memories for him without any warning seemed unimaginably cold-blooded.

"Of course I knew, I have his file." Gajeel barely even glanced at Lucy. The urge to smack him rose like a violent tide, but she resisted the desire by the barest of margins. "If it makes ya feel any better, I've been coming to this place long before this punk dropped into our lives. It's still the best place for him to be."

She wanted to protest. Natsu still hadn't budged, his bangs fluttering in the breeze the only sign of motion coming from him.

"Gajeel, no," Lucy brought voice to her fears. Her hand gripped at Gajeel's wrist, her friend's red gaze dropping down to her hand and raising a studded eyebrow at her. "This isn't a good idea, it's too soon for Natsu to do something like this - "

"It's fine," Natsu's voice lifted, cutting her off before she could go on a true tirade. "I want to be here."

He took off without another word, his stride eating up the distance between them and the door before Lucy could even breathe a word to stop him. Her brow furrowed, worry creasing the dent between her eyes. Knowing there was no way to stop Natsu if he had set his mind to something, Lucy sighed and headed in to follow him.

At least she would have, had a hand on her shoulder not stopped her.

She looked up to see Gajeel staring straight ahead, his expression firm but eyes glued ahead. With falling spirits, she realized Gajeel had no intention of going in there himself. Which meant for whatever reason, Natsu would be doing this on his own. She pulled herself free and stared at him in surprise, realizing he had planned on sending Natsu in alone the whole time.

"Gajeel, what if something happens?" Lucy demanded, horrified he would even consider this as a viable option.

She found herself being turned around, twisted towards the opposite side of the street. It was then she realized Gajeel was guiding her mechanically across the street to a small coffee shop.

"You can't protect him from this, Lucy," Gajeel grunted, his grip firm but nowhere tight enough to hurt her. "He'll never be ready to go back here, but it's the best place for him to be to get better."

Lucy grit her teeth together, anger sparking hot in her eyes.

"He should have support," she argued against Gajeel, hating how she was being shut down. Still, if anyone knew how to help Natsu, it would be someone who had been in the Ring himself for almost as long as Natsu. "I'm already nervous about this kind of 'therapy' for him. Can't I get him a therapist?"

Gajeel shrugged, but ignored Lucy for just long enough to head to the counter and order them two coffees. He returned to her a few moments later when his ticket was being filled.

"If you think it'll help him, sure," Gajeel finally allowed. He tapped his fingers on the counter while they waited. "But take it from me, he's been conditioned to think certain things are _normal_. And just pushing him into thinking they aren't may end up causing more damage."

Lucy opened her mouth but closed it from one breath to another. Her brows furrowed, a twinge of guilt settling into the pit of her stomach.

"He's a grown man, bunny girl." Gajeel straightened up at the sight of the cups being pushed towards them. "What he needs is a way to not smash some fucker's face in if they look at you the wrong way. That's the best therapy he can get, the rest will fall into place, even if I can't say he'll ever understand what you want him to."

Lucy's cheeks flushed, her fingers wrapping around her cup. Her broken finger twinged in its splint.

"W-what're you talking about," she demanded. Lucy had the sinking suspicion she knew exactly what he meant. To hear the insinuation about her whispered conversations with Natsu come from Gajeel's mouth made her cheeks burn.

Gajeel grinned, his unnaturally sharp teeth gleaming before he snagged his cup to take a deep drink.

"Next time you and the brat wanna make out, you should probably close the bathroom door."

-::-

When Natsu pushed open the familiar doors to his father's old gym, he felt as if his legs were ready to collapse under his weight. His shaky feet could barely take a step forward past the threshold. Emotion slammed into him like a pile driver, pressing the air from his lungs in a crushing vice.

The glass door swung shut behind him, startling him enough to look back over his shoulder. For the first time he realized he was alone, not even having noticed when the others slipped away to grant him his privacy.

He was grateful for the moment alone. It at least gave him time to comprehend his surroundings.

Nostalgia slammed into him just by standing awkwardly near the door. The bite of the air conditioning unit thrummed loud near the back of the gym, going at full blast to cool the room full of active bodies. It hummed so loud, it almost drowned out the drop of weights hitting mats or shifting on Olympic bars.

Towards the back there was a single ring, a sparring match between a boxer and a trainer going on behind the ropes. A large bronze bell was fixed onto the side of the ring.

The thing was ancient, and Natsu found himself drawn to it as if hypnotized. How often had he played with that silly thing as a child? Natsu remembered when Igneel would get into the ring to spar, he had been allowed to ring the bell for every round. His thumb ran over the surface of it, a smile crawling over his cheeks.

The gym had a few higher end equipment in it since Igneel's time, but it still seemed to hold much of the old school practices Igneel had implanted into the very foundation of this place. Part of the dojo even remained intact. Natsu was grateful for such a thing.

It almost made him feel as if his father was still alive. Even if it was just in these walls.

"Are you Natsu Dragneel?" a new voice broke through his thoughts, startling him enough to pull himself away from the bell.

He turned, his eyes falling onto the owner of the voice. She was a couple of inches shorter than him, but had such long, red hair it would be hard to miss her in a crowd.

A black eyepatch covered her right eye, partially obscured by a curtain of red bangs. Her other one seemed to catch and hold him with the strength of her stare alone. She stood straight, shoulder back and chin lifted. At her side she held a quarter staff around a bandaged hand.

She was an imposing woman.

But her face was gentle, a moderate smile that was tinged with warmth and wry playing around her lips.

"Yeah," he answered, a little wary of who she was, and how she knew his name.

The answer came soon enough when she crooked a finger at him, beckoning Natsu to follow her.

"My name is Erza Scarlet, Gajeel told me he had a special case for me similar to his own." She stuck her hand out for him to shake.

Hesitantly, he took it, but nearly jerked back when he felt how _strong_ her grip was.

"Let's speak in private for a moment. Gajeel has apprised me of the situation and I'm sure you have some questions of your own." Erza dropped his hand a beat later, turning on her heel back to a familiar office in the back.

Natsu swallowed hard, his eyes following her. Not knowing what else to do, Natsu took one last lingering look around him before following the strange woman to the back.


End file.
